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STORY OF MOSES; 

OR, 

DESERT WANDERINGS 
FROM EGYPT TO CANAAN 

MRS. MfArHALLOCK, 



AUTHOR OP 



* That Sweet Story of Old," " Fall of Jerusalem," " Life of Daniel,' 
etc., etc. 



ILLUSTRATED EDITION. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

THE AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
1122 CHESTNUT STREET. 




10 Bible House, New York. 

[Copyright by The American Sunday-School Union, 1888.] 



\-, 



MtH5 



CONTENTS. 



I. The Beautiful Child, 7 

II. Moses an Exile, ...... 21 

III. The Burning Bush, 34 

IV. Miriam's Story, 45 

V. The Exodus, 62 

VI. The Song of Triumph, .... 83 

VII. The Manna, 96 

VIII. War, 107 

IX. The Golden Calf, 129 

X. The New Tabernacle, .... 145 

XI. Miriam's Leprosy, 161 

XII. The Eeturn, 184 

XIII. A Wonderful Country, . . . .206 

XIV. Moses' Death. ...... 231 




The Pharaoh of the Oppression. 
(Rameses II.") 



CHAPTER I. 

THE BEAUTIFUL CHILD. 

Between three thousand and four thou- 
sand years ago, when Pharaoh (Rameses 
the 11.) , known as Rameses the Great, came 
to the throne of Egypt, a large nation of 
slaves, children of Jacob, and Joseph, filled 
the land. They had increased until they 
had become '' exceeding mighty.'' Pharaoh 
was alarmed at their number and talked 
with his people after this manner : 

The children of Israel are more and 
mightier than we. In case of war they 
will join our enemies and fight against us, 
and gain their liberty. We cannot afford 
to lose our slaves ; we must reduce their 
numbers and keep them down. 

His first plan was to overwork them and 
crush their spirit. He set cruel task- 
masters over them, who m.ade them serve 
(7) 



8 Story of Moses, 

with such rigor that their Hves were bitter 
with cruel bondage. 

But, after a few years Pharaoh found 
that his plan was a failure. The people 
still grew in numbers and in power. 
There were nearly two millions of them 
already, a wonderful increase from the 
seventy-five souls who came to Egypt in 
the time of Joseph. What could be done? 
He was puzzled. After much thought he 
said to his lords : '' Come on, let us deal 
wisely with them.'' I have a plan that 
must succeed. My kingdom shall be pre- 
served and my slaves kept ; and this is the 
way ril do it. All the male children of 
these Hebrews shall be killed at their 
birth, and the land will be rid of them. 

His orders were given, but the cruel 
work was not done ; and again Pharaoh 
was baffled. 

At length he issued a new law and 
charged his people to hunt out all the new 
born male children and mercilessly cast 
them into the river Nile. He would have 
no more dodging in this work ; it must be 
done ; and soon a great and bitter cry 



The Beautiful Child, 9 

went up from the hearts of the fathers and 
mothers of the land as they saw their little 
ones thrown into the sluggish waters of 
the river. They cried to the God of their 
fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and 
Jacob, yet the work of destruction went 
on, and there seemed to be no helper. 

But God's plans were maturing, and in 
his own time and way they would be exe- 
cuted. This was nearly sixteen hundred 
years before Christ. 

A little later than this an Hebrew, by 
the name of Amram, was living in Egypt. 
Amram was a grandson or great-grand- 
son of Levi, the son of Jacob, and he was 
in bondage with the rest of his people. 
His wife's name was Jochebed, and she 
was of the same tribe. When this last 
cruel law was made, they had two children 
Miriam, about ten years old, and Aaron a 
little boy of three. Though the law could 
not take Aaron, Miriam saw and felt the 
gloom that was settling down upon her 
father and mother. It was a mystery to 
her that they were so sad, till she learned 
one day, with great surprise, that she had 



lO Story of Moses. 

a little new brother a beautiful babe hid- 
den away in a secret place of the house. 
Then her whole being was excited, her 
fears and her love intensified, and she was 
eager to see the baby, and to help keep 
the secret. 

Probably Aaron was not told that such 
a child was there. In his great joy he 
would have proclaimed it to all whom he 
met. 

What this babe's name was we are not 
told, but he probably had one before he 
was named Moses. When he was three 
months old, and his parents' fears were 
great, they could not hide him much 
longer, for the dear baby was beginning 
to know his father and mother and sister, 
and to express joy when they came to him. 
It was more and more difficult to keep him 
quiet, and perhaps Amram had heard some 
hints that they were suspected, and again 
the question was asked. What shall we do 
with the baby ? There seemed to be no 
place in the land where they could hide 
him, except down among the bulrushes by 
the river. He would be so far off there, 



The Beautiful Child. 1 1 

that the people could not hear him cry, for 
of course he would cry, and that most 
piteously. And so they decided to gather 
some of the bulrushes, make a little boat, 
water-tight, and in the darkness of the 
night to hide him away by the river. 

Miriam had to be let into the secret, for 
she had a part to act ; she must help. 

No doubt she was greatly alarmed when 
they told her of their plan, and she wished 
to keep the baby brother still longer where 
she could care for his wants, and lavish 
upon him her kiss-es. But it could not be. 
The place to hide the babe must be found 
at once, and the bulrushes gathered, with- 
out exciting suspicion. This could be 
more easily done as these bulrushes, or 
papyrus, as they were called, were used 
for various purposes. The pith was some- 
times boiled and eaten, and with the 
fibrous parts, boats and baskets and paper 
were made. 

In imagination we can see Amram, as he 
lingers by the river the next day, near 
evening, gathering now and then, one of 
the long reeds. At the same time he is 



1 2 Story of Moses, 

noticing the little secluded nooks among 
the bushes where the baby could be put. 
One clump of bushes standing out in the 
water seemed to be the best place, and he 
determined upon that at once. To be 
sure, the mother would have to wade in 
the water when she went to the child, but 
what was that to the safety of the dear 
boy ! 

No smile lighted up Amram's face that 
night, as he went home, and laid his bundle 
of bulrushes down on the floor. The 
mother said little, for her heart was very 
heavy. That evening they cut the papy- 
rus plants up, wove them together and 
covered them within and without with 
pitch. What they made looked something 
like a small cradle, when done, and they 
set it away to harden. God saw the tears 
they shed over it, and he heard their 
prayers for help, and was even then 
preparing better things for them than they 
knew. 

There was no sleep for their eyes that 
night, which was far spent before all 
things were ready : and before daybreak 



The Beautiful Child. 13 

they put the sleeping baby carefully 
wrapped and warm in the ark, and called 
Miriam ; Amram took up the precious 
burden, and the three went on in silence 
towards the river. Though the day had 
not begun to dawn, they found the spot 
among the bushes, and Amram waded in 
and put the ark in the place. The child 
was still asleep, but they could not leave 
it alone ; so giving Miriam many direc- 
tions in regard to watching, while she 
seemed not to be doing so, Amram and 
his wife went back to their lonely home, 
leaving Miriam, a good way off, to watch, 
and trusting God to save. 

Was she afraid ? She started at every 
sound, and with open eyes pierced into 
the distance ; looking this way, and that. 
But it was a fear for the dear baby lest 
some fiend in human form, or some slimy 
crocodile might steal up and destroy the 
little innocent sleeper. So the hours wore 
away till the morning came, and the wel- 
come sun began to tinge the tops of the 
tall pyramids on the other side of the 
river. Then a new cause of alarm dis- 



14 Story of Moses, 

tressed Miriam. Several ladies were 
approaching, walking by the side of the 
river, and coming nearer and nearer to the 
place she was watching. They were Ther- 
muthis, the daughter of King Pharaoh, 
and her attendants. Perhaps they were 
looking for a suitable place for bathing, 
but they discovered something which 
puzzled them. And when Miriam looked 
again, one of the maids had waded in, and 
was bringing the little ark ashore, where 
Thermuthis stood to receive it. 

Miriam could keep her place no longer, 
but came forward, as if to see what they 
had found. They had uncovered the ark, 
and were all talking and eagerly looking 
at the beautiful child, who awoke, fright- 
ened at the strange faces bending over 
him, and he began to cry. 

'' This is one of the Hebrew children,'' 
said Thermuthis. ''He has a fair counte- 
nance. I will take him for my own son, 
and his name shall be Moses, for I have 
drawn him out of the water.'' 

When Miriam saw that Thermuthis 
wanted a nurse for him, she offered to go 



The Beautiful Child. 15 

in search of one, and she was soon run- 
ning in great haste for the baby's own 
mother. 

What a thrill went through Jochebed's 
heart as she saw her daughter coming ! 
How fast the questions were asked. **Has 
the baby been discovered ? Is he thrown 
into the river ? What is it Miriam ?" 

Then how great was her joy as she 
learned that the babe was safe, and that 
she was sent for to come and get him. 

We can imacrine that it did not take 

o 

long for her to reach the place where her 
child was, but she must go as a stranger, 
and so she bargained for her wages. 
That being settled, she took her newly 
named boy and carried him openly to her 
own house. 

What a change ! How strangely had 
God answered her prayers, and given back 
into her arms her own dear babe ! Their 
deep sorrow had been turned into exultant 
joy ; and thanksgiving and praise went up 
from every heart. There was to be no 
more hiding, no more fear. Aaron could 
now see and know the beautiful royal 



1 6 Story of Moses, 

babe ; the adopted son of the king's 
daughter. 

It is to be supposed that Thermuthis 
often came to the humble home to see her 
son, and to bring him clothing suited to 
his rank, and that she sometimes showed 
him to her father, or brother. 

One of the early writers of the first or 
second century, says, that Amram and 
Jochebed had long before this named the 
child Joachim. However that may have 
been, his name was now Moses and was 
ever after so to be. 

How long Moses was with his parents 
we do not know, but the time came when 
he must be given up, and, at the princess' 
bidding, his mother took him to the palace. 
Josephus says, that Thermuthis showed 
him to her father and said, '' I have brought 
up a child who is of a divine form, and as 
I received him from the bounty of the 
river in a wonderful manner, I thought 
proper to adopt him as my son and the 
heir of thy kingdom.'' So Pharaoh took 
him and hugged him to his breast, and in a 
pleasant way put his diadem upon his head. 




Egyptian Woman. 



The Beautiful Child, 19 

But Moses threw it upon the ground 
and trod upon it with his feet, which was 
looked upon by the priests as a very bad 
omen/' 

Egypt was at this time the seat of learn- 
ing for the world. There Solon and Plato 
were educated, and there Moses was 
taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, 
and became mighty in words and in deeds. 

Amram and Jochebed must have felt a 
secret pride in Moses who was distin- 
guishing himself, and was being fitted to 
fulfil all their hopes of him. A deliverer 
from bondage had been promised the 
Hebrew people, and in strong faith they 
watched for him to appear. When 
Joseph, at the age of one hundred and 
ten years, died, he left a charge to his 
nation to take his bones with them when 
they left Egypt. For, he said, God will 
surely visit you and bring you out of this 
land, unto the land which he swear to 
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Moses 
knew that the Hebrew people expected to 
be delivered from bondage and to be 
gathered in a country which they should 



20 Story of Moses. 

rule, as God had promised ; but who was to 
lead them away he probably did not know. 
He was living in royal style like a high 
bred Egyptian, and was perhaps flattered 
with the attentions and honors he received, 
and satisfied to remain as he was. Forty 
years went by before we hear of his wish- 
ing to do anything for the proscribed race. 
He knew he was one of them, and it may 
have cost him a great struggle to cut him- 
self loose from his royal surroundings and 
identify himself with them in their degraded 
condition. 

But as time went on he was more and 
more impressed with the great and pre- 
cious promises of God towards the 
Hebrews, till at length he determined to 
suffer affliction with his own people, rather 
than inherit, and wear the crown of Egypt. 

A new life opened before him, and he 
went out and mingled with the people to 
learn their condition, and to do them good 
as he had opportunity. 



CHAPTER II. 



MOSES AN EXILE. 



As far back as two thousand years be- 
fore Christ, Egypt is known to have been 
full of idolatry. The Egyptians supposed 
their god, whoever he happened to be, 
was embodied in some living creature, 
such as goats, sheep, bulls, cows, dogs, 
apes, shrew-mice, and hawks. They wor- 
shipped the frog, the river Nile, and even 
the Pharaohs came in for a share. 

The bull Apis, a symbol of Osiris or 
Mnevis, was a very important beast. He 
had a splendid temple of his own, with 
attendant priests. His food was of the 
choicest kind, his grooms and curry-combers 
kept his coat clean and bright, and his 
cup-bearers brought him water. On fes- 
tive days he was led through the streets 
that the people might see their god and 

(21) 



22 



Story of Moses. 



come and bow down to him. When he 
died he was embalmed and placed in a 
polished granite sarcophagus or coffin, 
together with jewelry, statuettes, and 
vases. It is said that the funeral of one 
of these bulls cost as much as ^20,000 or 
$100,000. 




Avenue of Sphinxes at Karnak. 



The Rev. Henry M. Field, D.D., who 
was in Egypt a few years since, says, 
'* We visited one of the most stupendous 
mausoleums that we have seen in Egypt. 
The approach to it was by an avenue of 
sphinxes which led to a vast subterranean 
gallery, twenty feet wdde and high, and 



Moses an Exile. 23 

leading more than a third of a mile under 
the earth. This long, vaulted passage is 
hewn in the soHd rock out of which open 
on either side, a series of chambers or 
recesses, like side chapels, each containing 
a sarcophagus 15 x 8 feet. These great 
sarcophagi, fit for the burial places of a 
long line of kings, were not for the 
Pharaohs or Ptolemies, but for the sacred 
bulls ! Thirty of these sarcophagi have 
been lound, and on the walls are tablets 
which record the birth, and death, and 
burial of each one of these beasts.'' In 
the New York Historical rooms are three 
mummied bulls, and a mummied cat taken 
from the catacombs of Egypt. In the 
De Cesnoli collection of N. Y. are several 
small images of these bulls which were 
once worshipped, no doubt, as gods. 

What astonishing superstition, combined 
with learning and wonderful architectural 
skill ! How degrading and demoralizing 
the influence upon the people ! So gross 
had they become that they were not satis- 
fied with the public worship of these 
beasts but had small images of them made 



24 Story of Moses. 

which they kept in their houses, and they 
and their children bow.ed down to them 
and worshipped. 

The Hebrews were not behind in this, 
and even Aaron, Moses' brother, learned 
the art of making these diminutive gods ; 
and he worshipped the works of his own 
hands. 

They had forsaken their father s God, 
yet he did not forsake them. He was long 
suffering and compassionate, and was even 
then fulfilling his purpose for their libera- 
tion and purification. 

Moses v/itnessed the heavy tasks laid 
upon his people, and the cutting strokes 
laid upon their backs when they failed to do 
all that was required of them ; and he was 
angry. He determined to defend them, 
and thought the Hebrews would under- 
stand that he was their friend. 

If he should appeal to Pharaoh, it would 
do no good ; he must act on his own 
responsibility. 

Often, after this, Moses walked to the 
brick-yards and other places where the 
Hebrews were working, hoping for an 



Moses an Exile, 25 

opportunity to do something for them. 
At length he saw in a re- ____ _ 

tired place two men, a ^^^^^ ^^ 
Hebrew and an Egyptian. ^^^^^^^^J 
The blows were falling ^^^ ^ ^ ^ ^^E 
hard from the Egyptian's '^^^^^^^S 
hand upon the shrinking, -^u^WM^^^a 
crouching form of the 
Hebrew. Moses' blood was stirred, and 
he looked this way and that, and seeing no 
one, he rushed up in his strength and 
killed the Egyptian. No doubt Moses 
thought it was right, although he did not 
mean, perhaps, to go so far. But it was 
done, and the Egyptian was dragged off 
and buried in the sand. Moses went 
back to the palace, hoping that his rash 
act would not be known, especially by 
Pharaoh. 

The next day Moses went out again, and 
seeing two Hebrews fighting he said to 
one in the wrong, Why smitest thou thy 
fellow? The insolent man replied, Who 
made you a prince and a judge over us ? 
Do you intend to kill me as you did the 
Egyptian yesterday ? 



26 Story of Moses, 

Moses was alarmed, and said, Surely this 
thing is known. Where he went that day 
we do not know, but Pharaoh soon heard 
of the act, and took steps to find Moses 
and kill him. 

Moses was aware of all this and fled. 
Perhaps he saw his father and the rest of 
the family before he left, but there was no 
time to be lost, and he struck off east, 
through the land of Goshen, and on to- 
wards Suez ; while the Egyptians were 
guarding the roads to arrest him, he 
was far off, going down on the east of the 
Red Sea towards the wilderness. All alone 
he pressed on over rocks and hot or sandy 
plains, where no human being lived, going 
where? Did he know? Once he came 
upon a beautiful valley, afterwards called 
Elim, w^here were brooks and trees and 
singing birds. It was a place for rest. 
There caravans halted to feed their flocks, 
and perhaps Moses met with some who 
gave him food. It is to be hoped he 
received some kindness from some one on 
the way, for he was lonely and sad. What 
was there for him on the earth now, but to 



Moses an Exile. 27 

hide himself with a strange people, and 
there to waste his time and talents, with 
no good results to his own enslaved people. 

Day after day Moses pressed on through 
deserts and mountains, whose bare peaks 
penetrated the sky in awful majesty. 
There was Mount Serbal, and Horeb, and 
Sinai. He was awed in this solitude. 
The grandeur was overpowering, and he 
felt he was alone with God. It was a time 
for reflection; to review the past. He 
was educated and prepared for great 
things in the world, for himself and others; 
but the providences of God had shut him 
up ; he was an outcast and considered a 
murderer. 

Moses at this time was in the lower 
part of the peninsula, the gulf of Suez 
west, and the gulf of Akabah east, the two 
arms of the Red Sea, while the body of that 
sea was south. He turned his steps north- 
east, not far from the latter gulf, and walked 
on hoping to find some human habitation. 
At length he came to a well and seated 
himself by it to rest. As long troughs 
were fixed near the well, he knew that 



28 Story of Moses. 

sheep were brought there for water; so he 
waited. He was now in Midian, a country 
settled by the descendants of Abraham 
and his second wife Keturah. These 
people knew by tradition of Isaac and 
Jacob, and they had also heard that Joseph 
was sold into Egypt, and that his nation 
was there still and in bondage. 

The day was wearing away, and the 
time seemed long to Moses. But presently 
he saw in the distance a large flock of 
sheep coming, and with them seven girls, 
dressed like shepherdesses. In a few 
moments the well and troughs were sur- 
rounded by the bleating, thirsty animals. 

The girls saw Moses sitting there 
quietly ; and girl like, they cast glances to- 
wards him, wondering who he was, and 
why there. Moses also saw them, and, 
though he did not know it, saw among 
them his future wife. 

The girls, who were all sisters, drew the 
water and poured it into the troughs, but 
before the sheep could drink, several rude 
shepherds came up with their flocks, took 
possession of the well, and ordered the 



Moses an Exile, 29 

girls away. Moses could sit still no 
longer. He arose and came forward, and, 
as one having authority, ordered the men 
to wait till the first flocks were through. 
He then drew water himself and poured 
it into the troughs till the sheep were satis- 
fied. 

The girls had politeness enough per- 
haps to thank Moses, but nothing more. 
They went home and left him by the well. 

Their father, Jethro or Reuel, who Avas 
a man of note, being a prince or priest, 
asked in surprise how it happened that 
they had reached home so soon that day. 
They told him that an Egyptian had de- 
livered them from the shepherds, and had 
also drawn waters, and had watered their 
flocks. 

And where is he ? asked Reuel. Why 
is it that you have left him ? Go and call 
him, and give him supper with us. 

Moses was still at the well when the 
girl returned. She modestly did her 
errand, and Moses accepted her invitation 
and walked with her to her father's house. 

Reuel must have been pleased with 



30 Siory of Moses, 

Moses, and at once made him feel at home. 
They talked on subjects interesting to both ; 
their common ancestry, the condition of 
the Hebrews in Egypt, and their promised 
liberation from bondage. Moses possibly 
told Reuel of his desire to help his people, 
and of his great failure-, and of his being 
obliged to flee to save his life. 

Reuel invited him to stay with him. He 
could give him employment in looking 
after the flocks and herds, and he was safe 
from any danger from Pharaoh while 
there. 

Moses accepted the kindness and be- 
came one of the family. His wanderings 
were ended, for a time. 

Reuel was rich, like Abraham, in cattle 
and flocks, and like him he lived in a 
primitive way. It was very unlike what 
Moses had had in the palace, but he was 
contented. He loved the grand old moun- 
tains around which he drove his herds and 
flocks. There his mind was filled with 
adoring thoughts of God, who not only 
created all things, but condescended to 
care even for him, an alien ; and to place 



Moses a7i Exile, 31 

him in a home where his father's God was 
worshipped. Reuel had one son, at least, 
yet Moses filled a large place in his heart. 
Particularly gratefiil were the daughters to 
this '' Egyptian," as they called him, for 
relieving them from some of their out-door 
labor, and for the protection he gave them 
against the shepherds. 

The amiable and loving Zipporah was, 
in Moses' eyes, the one out of the seven 
to make him happy, and he asked her of 
her father for a wife. Reuel might well 
be gratified to have such a son-in-law as 
Moses, and he gave him Zipporah. 

Moses was now, indeed, one of the 
family, and settled down, as he may have 
thought, for life. He had a more real in- 
terest, a sort of proprietorship in the 
family, and in the herds he cared for. 

At length a son was born, and Moses 
named him Gershom. '' For he said, I have 
been a stranger in a strange land." There 
was no Pharaoh to seek the child's life, and 
with six aunts and a grandfather to pet the 
boy, he might have been spoiled ; but in 
process of time another son came to share 



32 Story of Moses, 

their attentions. Moses named him 
Eliezer — God is a helper. 

As these boys grew older and asked for 
stories, did Moses tell them of Pharaoh's 
cruelty, of the babe in the bulrushes by 
the river, and of God's care of the child ? 
No doubt they heard it all. 

Two sons to train up and educate for 
usefulness ! Moses was qualified to do it 
for he was not only learned in all book 
knowledge, but he worshipped the true 
God, which was of more importance than 
all things else. 

No idol worship would those boys see 
either in their grandfather Reuel's house, or 
in their father's. They grew up with 
right principles, and we hear of them 
again after many years. 

It is not to be supposed that Moses 
would be satisfied with spending his time and 
all his thought upon his sheep and cattle. 
His aspirations were like the towering 
mountains around him, upward. He was 
searching out the great questions of duty 
to man and to his Maker, and his spirit 
was subdued and humble. He was sur- 



Moses an Exile. 33 

rounded with the sublime. He saw his 
own Httleness and became exceedingly 
meek. 

God could now use him, and it was prob- 
ably in this solitude that he commenced 
writing, the books which bear his name. 
What more natural than for him to write, 
in the fullness of his heart, 

'' In the beginning God created the 
heaven and the earth." 

Here was the commencement of the 
Bible, that Book of books. Other thoughts 
were dictated by the Holy Spirit — thoughts 
new to Moses himself till revealed, and so 
the pages of the Holy Book increased. 

During these years Pharaoh died and a 
new king took the throne. He was more 
oppressive, if possible, than the others, and 
the cry of the Hebrews came up before 
God, who was now about to deliver them. 
God remembered his covenant with Abra- 
ham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses was also 
now fitted to commence the great work of 
his life. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE BURNING BUSH. 

When Moses had been in Midlan forty 
years, being then eighty years old, he was 
still living in the desert with his father-in- 
law Reuel, and driving his flocks from 
mountain to mountain for pasturage, or 
from valley to valley among the mountains. 

At this time, finding it necessary to 
move his flocks he went south to the back 
side of the desert, and came to Mount 
Horeb. Here was a range of mountains 
extending forty miles or more. Their tops 
pierced the sky, their sides were covered 
with huge rocks, and the valleys were 
generally without grass or trees. But 
after rains, or where living springs were 
running, there were patches of verdure, 
where large flocks of sheep could find food 
for many days. 

(34) 



The Burning Bush, 35 

As Moses approached this soHtary place 
we can almost see him coming through the 
northern opening of the mountains, fol- 
lowed by his hundreds of dusty, noisy, 
sheep, which crowd on to this plain and 
over it to the mountains beyond. 

Moses, with his shepherd's staff in his 
hand, leads them on up the rugged sides, 
where they eagerly crop the grass among 
the rocks. Their voices are now all 
hushed, and amid the awful solitude Moses 
seats himself and watches them. He had 
no book to read, no newspaper to divert 
him; what was he thinking of as he sat 
there ? Perhaps of the promises of God 
to the Hebrews. They had been in Egypt 
about four hundred years, and it almost 
seemed that God had forgotten them ; 
forgotten that he had made a promise to 
deliver them. As Moses looked up he 
saw a bush not far off blazing and burning. 
He was startled. There was no one 
around to set it on fire. For a long time 
he sat and watched the bush, and yet it 
was not consumed ; it did not grow any 
less. That was strange indeed. He 



Story of Moses, 




ground. 



arose and with his rod, or staff, in his 
hand, walked towards it wondering. 

A voice from the fire said, '' Moses, 
Moses" ; and Moses an- 
swered, ''Here am I." 
And God said, '' Draw not 
nigh hither : put off thy 
shoes from off thy feet ; 
for the place whereon 
thou standest is holy 
. I am the God of thy 
father, the God of Abraham, the God of 
Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 

Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to 
look upon God. 

And God said, ''I have seen the affliction 
of my people which are in Egypt, and 
have heard their cry by reason of their 
taskmasters ; for I know their sorrows ; 
and I am come down to deliver them out 
of the hand of the Egyptians, and to 
bring them up out of that land unto a 
good land and a large, unto a land 
flowing with milk and honey. 
Come now, therefore, and I will send thee 
unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring 



The Burning Bush, 37 

forth my people/' Moses was taken by 
surprise, and was staggered by the prop- 
osition, and stammered out, '' Who am I, 
that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I 
should brinof forth the children of Israel 
out of Egypt?" 

God promised him help, and Moses, 
remembering his former attempt and 
failure, still held back and made excuses. 

God replied, '' Certainly, I will be with 
thee ; and this shall be a token [or sign] 
unto thee, that I have sent thee : when 
thou hast brought forth the people out of 
Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this 
mountain." 

Then Moses objected again, and said, 
** Behold, when I come unto the children 
of Israel, and shall say unto them, The 
God of your fathers hath sent me unto 
you ; and they shall say to me. What is 
his name? what shall I say unto them?" 

God replied, 'T am that i am." Tell 
them '' I AM hath sent me unto you." 

Then God gave Moses many instruc- 
tions as to what he must do, promising all 
along to be with him. But Moses said, 



38 Story of Moses, 

They will not believe me, but will say, 
'' The Lord hath not appeared unto thee/' 

"What is that in thine hand?" asked 
God. 

** A rod/' }\Ioses meekly replied. 

'' Cast it on the ground." Moses threw 
it down and it became a serpent, and 
Moses, being afraid of it, ran, and it 
chased him. 

God commanded him to take it by the 
tail, and as Moses did so, it became a rod 
ao-ain. God told him to do that before 
Pharaoh to prove that his words were 
true. 

As Moses still hesitated, God told him 
to put his hand into his bosom ; he did so, 
and as he drew it out it was covered with 
the white scales of leprosy. Did he 
think that God was angry with him and he 
was to be a leper ? The command came, 
put it back again. And when he drew it 
out the second time it was restored. God 
said. If they will not believe the first sign 
then thou shalt use the second, and if they 
will not believe either, thou shalt take 
water from the river and pour it upon the 



The Burning Bush. 39 

land and it shall be as blood. Moses still 
stood before the Lord unwilling to go, and 
said, '' O my Lord, I a7n not eloquent, 
neither heretofore, nor since thou hast 
spoken unto thy servant ; but I a7n slow of 
speech and of a slow tongue/' He did 
not know himself, for the Bible says 
Moses was mighty in word. 

God replied, " Who hath made man's 
mouth ? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, 
or the seeing, or the blind ? Have not I 
the Lord ? Now therefore go, and I will 
be with thy mouth, and teach thee what 
thou shalt say.'' 

Strange conduct for Moses, but he still 
stood there and dared to say, he had 
rather God would send by some one else. 

Then the anger of the Lord was kindled 
against Moses, but his patience was great, 
and he replied: your brother Aaron is now 
on his way to meet you. He can speak 
well, and thou shalt put words into his 
mouth, and I will be with thee. 

The fire disappeared. Moses was 
entirely subdued and willing to obey God, 
though he knew the work involved great 



40 Story of Moses. 

self denial. He must now lead his flocks 
back, and tell his family what had happened, 
and what he must do. He was a different 
man from what he was when he entered 
that solitary region, for he had talked with 
God and still lived. When he came to his 
home he cared for his sheep, and went in 
and stood before Reuel, his father-in-law. 

Moses was eighty, and Reuel perhaps 
older ; two aged men standing face to 
face. Did Reuel notice a change in Moses 
and ask the reason ? 

Moses told him all and asked to take his 
family and go to Egypt and see if his 
friends were yet alive. Reuel said to 
Moses, "Go in peace." 

The Lord also answered Moses that all 
the men who sought his life were dead, 
and he could go in safety. Days of pre- 
paration followed, the journey was long, 
and many things must be carried for their 
comfort, and with an ass for their convey- 
ance, they went forth till they reached the 
mount of God, the place where the burn- 
ing bush had been. There he had received 
his commission, and now he was on his 



The Burning Bush. 41 

way to execute it. While they waited 
here Aaron arrived, and being glad to 
meet his brother Moses again, he kissed 
him. How much they had to say to each 
other ! First Aaron must be told all the 
words of God, of what they were to do 
when they should enter Egypt. Questions 
were to be asked about the new king, and 
how he would receive their message. 
Had we been present we might have heard 
Aaron say something like this : 

The Pharaoh whom you knew, died 
about six years ago. He was a hard and 
cruel master, and cared neither for our 
comfort nor our lives. He was much 
harder upon us after you left, and seemed 
always to be expecting you back to create 
a rebellion. He was successful in his 
wars, and there is scarcely a temple or 
column in the land but is covered with 
accounts of his exploits. And every brick 
we made was stamped with his name, as 
it was when you were there. 

He put us to building treasure cities, 
and we cut temples in the solid rock, we 
built wide canals, and worked continually 



42 Story of Moses. 

under the lash of cruel overseers. 
Pharaoh's life was one long sin against our 
people and our God. His death gave us 
some hope, but our new King Pharaoh 
has no knowledge of our forefathers, and 
if he ever heard of Joseph's saving the 
lives of the Egyptians in the great famine 
he cares nothing for it. He wishes us to 
know that we are to be kept in bondage 
for ever. Our undertaking is a perilous 
one, but we will go to Egypt and call the 
elders of our people together. They may 
regard what we say, but Pharaoh will not 
let us go. 

The w^ords of Aaron were discouraging 
to Moses, and he determined to send his 
wife and sons back again to Reuel. 
There in the wilderness they parted. 
Moses and Aaron with only their staves 
turned towards Egypt, while Zipporah, 
with her sons and their beast of burden 
turned back towards the hospitable home 
of her father Reuel. 

No doubt he was much surprised to see 
them enter his home after so short an 
absence, but he was a good man and cared 



The Burning Bush. 43 

for them kindly. The grandsons would 
have much to tell of what they had seen 
and of their uncle Aaron, which would in- 
terest Reuel greatly ; but while they were 
so happy around the old home, Moses 
and Aaron were walking on through the 
desert, weary with the journey and 
anxious about the great work they had to 
do. They arrive at length at the gulf of 
Suez, when they turn west towards Egypt. 

Three more days bring them to their 
home to Miriam their loving sister, who 
was now ninety years old. She had 
greatly changed in looks since Moses had 
seen her, but her heart was as loving as 
when she watched the little ark in the 
bulrushes. If Aaron gave Moses one 
kiss at their meeting, she must have given 
him many both for herself and for her 
dear old mother, who would see his face 
no more. She had died in bondage. 

Miriam entered warmly into their plans 
and did what she could to further them. 
But the people had lost spirit and feared to 
act lest their miseries should be increased. 
Against this slothful feeling Moses and 



44 



Story of Moses, 



Aaron had to work. We will let Miriam 
tell the story, for she was there. And as 
she had then aboutfortyyearsmore to live, 
she was to pass through most of the trials 
that befel the nation before they arrived 
in Canaan, 




CHAPTER IV. 

Miriam's story. 

For many days past, Moses and Aaron 
have been visiting the cities and talking 
to the elders ; and trying to convince 
them that the set time for the nation's 
deliverance has come. But it is hard for 
them to believe. They have drifted into 
idolatry and have become degraded. 
Four hundred years of such a life is 
enough to degrade any people. 

In passing through Thebes, Moses wit- 
nessed a feast held in honor of the calf 
Apis and of the other Egyptian gods. 
Multitudes of people were gathered 
around the temple, where the innocent 
animal was, and were shouting and dancing 
in the wildest manner. Some of them 
were Hebrews. Moses was greatly 
grieved at the sight ; but Aaron has 

(45) 



46 



Story of Moses. 



too often seen this to be much disturbed. 
A great and solemn meeting has been 
held, and Caleb, Joshua, Hur, Amminadab, 
and other prominent men were present. 
Aaron addressed them and told them 
all that God had commanded them to 
do ; and to convince them that his 




Osiris, and Isis ; two chief gods of the Egyptians. 

words were true, he showed them 
the signs they were to use. When he 
cast down the rod, it became a serpent 
aud glided around the room with its head 
erect. They were startled ; but when 
Aaron caught it by the tail, and it became 



Miriam s Story. 47 

a rod again, they were convinced that God 
had sent them. 

Moses and Aaron have been to see 
Pharaoh, and lay the commands of God 
before him. How it recalled to Moses his 
early life as he entered the gorgeous place. 
Thermuthis was not there to welcome 
him, and he saw no familiar face. This 
Pharaoh was a new king, and after the 
usual ceremony, Moses said to Pharaoh ; 

God, the God of the Hebrews, has sent 
me to say, ''Let my people go, that they 
may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness." 

Pharaoh was haughty and insolent, and 
scarcely had the words dropped from 
Moses' lips before he asked in a loud 
voice and in a tone of contempt, 

'' Who is the Lord, that I should obey 
his voice to let Israel go?" 

Moses said, '' The God of the Hebrews 
hath met with us ; let us go, we pray 
thee, three days journey into the desert, 
and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest 
he fall upon us with pestilence, or with 
the sword." 

This made Pharaoh still more angry, 



48 Story of Moses, 

and he accused Moses and Aaron of taking 
the people from their work by their talk, 
and their meetings ; and he ordered them 
to leave his presence and go to their tasks. 

We hear to-nieht that the taskmasters 
have already been to the different brick- 
yards, and have told the Hebrews that 
they had not enough to do, and so were 
uneasy, and trying to shirk work, on pre- 
tence of going away to worship. 

They also told them that no more straw 
would be given them in future to mix in 
the brick, but that they must get it them- 
selves wherever they can and yet make as 
many bricks as they did before. 

We feared this ; the people are out to- 
night gathering stubble for to-morrow. 
They know they cannot do the work that 
is required of them, and are discouraged. 

The days are going by, and the sorrows 
of the people increase : they are beaten 
cruelly. Even the Hebrew officers have 
been whipped. It is more than they can 
bear, and they are going in a body to the 
king. Moses and Aaron are trying to 
encourage the people by assuring them 



Miriam s Story, 49 

that God will surely deliver them from the 
Egyptians, and give them a land of their 
own, where they will not be in bondage to 
any man. 

Moses and Aaron met the officers as 
they came from the palace to-day. They 
got no satisfaction from the king and are 
in great trouble. 

Moses has been pleading with God, and 
asked why the Lord dealt in this manner 
with his people ; for instead of being 
liberated they were oppressed the more. 

God answered him and renewed all his 
promises, and commanded him to go and 
tell the people that they should soon be 
free. 

But they are so crushed in spirit that they 
will not regard his words. They feel that 
he has raised false hopes and brought 
them into troubles from which he cannot 
deliver them. Moses and Aaron are sad 
and have gone to see Pharaoh again. 

Pharaoh looked with contempt when 
they entered and asked what proof they 
could give that the Lord had sent them. 
Aaron replied, I will turn this rod which I 



50 Story of Moses. 

hold in my hand into a serpent ; and he 
cast it down upon the floor. 

The king was startled as it glided 
swiftly about, but after Aaron had caught 
it by the tail and it was again a stick or 
rod, Pharaoh concluded it was all done by 
magic, and he sent for Jannes and Jambres 
his two most noted magicians. 

For some wise reason God allowed 
them to do the same with their rods, but 
Aaron's serpent-rod darted forward and 
swallowed their serpents, and their rods 
were no more seen. 

Pharaoh's heart is hardened and he still 
refuses to let our people go. Terrible 
judgments are to be sent upon the 
men of this land, and as they worship the 
river Nile judgments are to commence 
upon it. 

Moses is to meet Pharaoh as he comes 
down to the water in the morning and say, 
'' Let my people go.'' 

Moses is walking very near to God in 
these days and is calm and prayerful. 

This is a beautiful morning in spring 



Miriams Story, 51 

and the air is loaded with the sweet per- 
fume of flowers and the songs of birds. 
The valley is covered with flax and barley 
nearly ready for the reapers. 

Moses and Aaron are down by the 
river. Will Pharaoh again refuse ? If 
he does, who can stand before the terrible 
judgments to come ? 

They met the king, and Aaron told him 
plainly that unless he let the people go, 
the water of the whole land would be 
turned into blood. But the king, in the 
presence of his servants, scorned their 
words. Aaron then smote the river and 
stretched his rod over it. Pharaoh was 
disturbed, as he watched till the waters 
grew red and thick, and dying fish were 
thrown upon the shore. Then he sent for 
his sorcerers, and clean water being pro- 
duced, God allowed them to turn it to 
blood. 

The kinor was more hardened than be- 
fore, and turned and went to his own 
house. 

We wonder that God allows the sor- 
cerers to do such things, but he knows 



52 Story of Moses, 

what is best. To-day I hear from our 
Egyptian neighbors that their water jars 
are full of blood. Many persons are dig- 
ging near the river, hoping to obtain 
water for their families, and flocks ; but 
with poor success ; for the river is very 
offensive on account of the putrid, bloody 
fish that line the shores. 

Moses is hoping to be summoned to 
the palace to be told to pray for the 
removal of the plague, and to take the 
people and go. We try to keep ourselves 
in readiness to start on short notice. 

The Egyptians are in great distress, 
and are crying to Pharaoh for help ; but 
he pays no attention to them. 

This is the seventh day of blood, a 
whole week, but it is beginning to abate. 
The Egyptians are cleaning out their 
water vessels and fillino- them with clean 
water. They rejoice greatly to get it. 
This judgment is also lost upon the king, 
who grows more and more oppressive. 
The Hebrews are despairing. But God 
assures Moses that he sees all our sorrows 
and will soon help. 



Miriam's Story. 53 

Again Moses is called to go to the king 
and he meekly obeys, though he meets 
with anger from the king, and jeers from 
his sorcerers and servants. He dreads 
these interviews. 

Moses has not returned, yet I know that 
Pharaoh has refused, for the people are in 
alarm and are hurrying home on account 
of the thousands of frogs that have sud- 
denly appeared. They have worshipped 
the frog, but now they are disgusted ; for 
the filthy creatures hop into the houses, 
they leap into their beds, they croak from 
the ovens, and squat in the kneading 
troughs, and fasten themselves upon the 
people. Business is stopped, and all are 
suffering for food and sleep. 

The magicians have produced frogs and 
the king is hardened again. 

A messenger has called for Moses. 
He says the officers at court are com- 
plaining to the king and that Pharaoh is 
ready to let us go. This is joyful news. 

It is now late in the day and Moses has 
returned. He gives a doleful account of 
the plague as seen at the palace. Pharaoh 



54 Story of Moses, 

is greatly troubled and says one moment, 
that if the frogs are removed Israel can go ; 
then he asserts that the plague will pass 
away of itself, and that no prayer need be 
offered for its removal, certainly not till to- 
morrow. 

The morrow has arrived, prayer has 
been offered, and not a livino- froo;- is seen, 
but the ground is covered with their dead 
carcasses. Men are raking them up into 
heaps, and the land is becoming offensive. 

Pharaoh is relieved. He will have a few 
days of rest and then other judgments 
will follow, for he still refuses. 

God has commanded and Aaron has 
struck the earth, and the dust of Egypt 
has become flying insects, — gnats, or fleas 
or ticks ; insect torments, called in our 
translation, "lice." They are small, fierce, 
blood-sucking insects, creeping into the 
eyes, the nose, and covering the whole 
body like a cloud of dust. Their sting is 
very painful. 

Pharaoh has commanded his sorcerers 
to do the same. They fail, and say, 
^'This is the finger of God" ; we cannot 



Miriams Story, 55 

do It. Pharaoh is desperate and hardened. 
Aaron is getting tired of this strife with 
Pharaoh and to-morrow Moses goes alone 
to make another demand, and to threaten 
a swarm of flies, or beetles, which shall 
fill all the houses of the Egyptians. Not 
one will be found in ours, which is to be 
another proof that God is dealing with 
the king. It requires early rising to meet 
Pharaoh at the river where he goes to dip 
himself in its holy waters, but Moses has 
gone. He has great patience in doing 
this unpleasant work, and when God 
speaks he meekly obeys. The Egyptians, 
and many of our own people are bitter 
against Moses; still he endures it, and is 
looking for the recompense of reward. 

The king has again refused, and swarms 
of flying beetles or dog flies (called flies in 
our translation) are darkening the land. 
The Hebrew word arob refers to the gad- 
fly, dog-fly, and Egyptian beetle, whose 
bite is very painful and causes great 
inflammation. They crawl from the 
ground, and as the Egyptians have con- 
sidered the beetle sacred and carved their 



56 Story of Moses. 

forms in stone, they are perplexed and 
would willingly be rid of their divinity. 
They can neither eat nor sleep in peace. 
Our dwellings are free from them. 

A message has arrived for Moses and 
Aaron to go to the king. Pharaoh tells 
them that if they will remove the plague 
they may go to some part of Egypt to 
sacrifice to God. Moses replied, that we 
wish to sacrifice the ox and the calf, and 
as your people hold them as sacred, it 
would be an abomination to them. They 
would stone us. No, said Moses, '' We 
will go three days journey into the wilder- 
ness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God as 
he shall command us.'' 

Pharaoh replied, 'T will let you go . . . 
only ye shall not go very far away : entreat 
for me." Moses promised to pray for the 
removal of the beetles or flies on the next 
day, and then begged the king to be true 
to his promise. He is tired of so much 
deception. 

Moses' prayer is answered and the fly- 
ing creatures have left as suddenly as they 
came. But while the people are rejoicing, 



Miriam s Story. 57 

Pharaoh is thinking that the beetles would 
have gone any way, and that he will not 
let the Hebrews go. 

Our people are greatly depressed. No 
straw has been found them since Moses' 
first interview with the king, and they 
are scattered all over the land gathering 
stubble, or whatever will answer their 
purpose. They are daily beaten because 
they fail in their work. 

Moses has been still another time to 
Pharaoh. He found the kine seated in 
his great hall amid sculptured columns 
and hanging tapestry so familiar to Moses 
in his youth, but haughty and defiant. 
Moses said, 

'' Thus saith the Lord God of the 
Hebrews, Let my people go, that they 
may serve me. For if thou refuse to let 
them go, . . . Behold, the hand of the 
Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the 
field, upon the horses, upon the asses, 
upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon 
the sheep ; there shall be a very grievous 
murrain . . . and there shall nothing die 
of all that is the children's of Israel. . . . 



58 Story of Moses, 

To-morrow the Lord shall do this thinof/' 

Could the king's counsellors and the 
people have their own way, we should be 
driven from the land before other judg- 
ments are sent. The coming scourge will 
touch their sacred animals. 

Moses and Aaron look care-worn. So 
many months of strife and anxiety tell 
upon them. The morning sun is shining 
again, and we already hear that cattle are 
dying by hundreds in the land. Their 
groans and bellowings are filling their 
owners with alarm. Even Pharaoh's 
beautiful horses, which carried him so 
proudly through the streets yesterday, are 
dead with the rest. He was watching for 
this scourge, and has sent messengers to 
Goshen to see if what Moses told him is 
true. He finds no sickness among our 
beasts, and this fact seems to provoke and 
harden him. Men are everywhere bury- 
ing the swollen carcasses of beasts. A 
pestilence is feared. 

Many days have now gone by, and as 
Pharaoh shows no sign of yielding, Moses 
and Aaron have gone to the furnace for 



Miriam s Story, 59 

ashes, which they are to scatter to the 
winds in the sight of Pharaoh. They are 
not sent to speak to him, yet he watches 
their movements. 

The sixth judgment has come. Our 
people are all well, but the Egyptians are 
suffering with boils. Pharaoh is sorely 
afflicted with them, while the sorcerers 
are unable to rise or stand. All the 
Egyptians are suffering in the same way, 
and they are losing patience with Pharaoh, 
that he does not drive us out of the land. 

The disease is passing over, and as the 
king is able to be about now, he concludes 
that he will hold on to his slaves, and not 
allow them to go away to worship. 

When will this strife end ? Moses and 
Aaron are to go again early in the morn- 
ing to Pharaoh and demand that he let 
the people go. 

If he refuses, Moses is to say : 

''Thus saith the Lord God of the He- 
brews, . . . exaltest thou thyself against 
my people, that thou will not let them go? 
Behold, to morrow about this time I will 
cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such 



6o Story of Moses. 

as hath not been in Egpyt since the foun- 
dation thereof, even until now. . . . 
Gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in 
the field ; for upon every man and beast, 
which shall be found in the field . . . 
the hail shall come down and . . . 
they shall die/' 

These threatenings are known, and men 
are sheltering their cattle, for there are a 
few left in the land. People are begin- 
ning to believe that the threatening will 
come, even if there are pleasant skies and 
balmy air. 

The day of vengeance came. Moses 
stood with out-stretched arm, at God's 
bidding. Immediately the heavens grew 
black ; the wind swept over the land in a 
tornado ; the thunder broke in awful 
peals over head and shook the earth ; 
while the lightning ran in a blaze along 
the ground. Hail stones fell thick and 
fast, and of such size that every tree and 
green thing was broken down and de- 
stroyed, and men or beasts who were 
exposed to it died. 

Pharaoh was exceedingly terrified, and 



Miriam s Story. 6i 

as soon it was safe he sent for Moses and 
Aaron, and in his anguish said, '' I have 
sinned this time : The Lord is righteous, 
and I and my people are wicked. Entreat 
the Lord . . . that there be no 7nore 
mighty thunderings, and hail ; and I will 
let you go, and ye shall stay no longer/' 
Thus passed the seventh judgment. 

Moses promised to pray for him, but 
told him that he knew he would not keep 
his word, and so it was. As soon as the 
terror was past, and the dead gathered 
from the fields, Pharaoh changed his mind, 
and the Hebrews seemed as far from 
liberation as ever. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE EXODUS. 

Egypt ! O Egypt ! thou land of beauty 
and plenty, how art thou fallen and de- 
stroyed ! and yet thou wilt not yield. God 
must come in still greater power. Moses 
stands in the palace and says : 

'' Thus saith the Lord God of the He- 
brews, . . . Let my people go, that they 
may serve me." If you longer refuse, 
locusts shall cover your land and destroy 
whatever the hail has left. 

When Moses left Pharaoh, the lords 
said. How long shall this man be a snare 
to us ? Let the Hebrews go ; do you not 
see that Egypt is destroyed ? 

Pharaoh began to be afraid of his own 
people. Moses and Aaron were called 
back. They found confusion and anxiety 
in the palace. The lords were urging the 

(62) 



The Exodus. 63 

king to let the people go, and he was 
meditating and hesitating. At one time 
he would say, go and serve your God, 
then he would ask, But who are to go ? 

Moses told him, that all must go, from the 
eldest to the youngest, with the herds and 
the flocks. 

Pharaoh at this moment seemed to get 
the idea that they did not intend to return 
if they once got away. And he cried, 
You only asked that the men might go; 
now you that are men may go, but your 
flocks and little ones shall not go. And 
in great anger he drove Moses and Aaron 
from the palace. 

After this, God commanded Moses to 
stretch out his hand over the land, that 
the locusts might appear. 

He obeyed, and a strong east v/ind be- 
gan to blow. It continued the rest of the 
day and all night. In the morning a dark 
cloud hid the sun and cast a gloom over 
the earth. People were out of their 
houses looking anxiously up at the sky, 
wondering what was the matter. But 
when the locusts began to fall and to cover 



64 Story of Moses. 

every bush and tree, and the earth, the 
people were appalled and shut themselves 
in their houses. The locusts went with 
the regularity of an army ; nothing could 
turn them. Some people dug deep 
trenches to keep them back, but the 
locusts fell in till the trench was full, and 
the others marched over their dead bodies 
and went forward. Others piled brush in 
their way, setting it on fire at their 
approach, but even this seemed to do no 
good. No walls stopped them ; they 
climbed over and into the houses, filling 
the ovens, the beds, and the kneading 
troughs, with their disgusting bodies. 

The wheat and rye which began to rise 
again after the hail, they ate clean, and it 
can be truly said that not a bush or tree, 
or any green thing is left in the country. 

This is the eighth plague that is come 
upon the land. The common people are 
suffering greatly, all labor is stopped and 
famine is expected. 

A messenger in great haste has arrived, 
and Moses and Aaron have gone to 
Pharaoh. 



The Exodus, 65 

They found the king humbled. He 
confessed that he had sinned against God, 
and against them, and begged their for- 
giveness only for this once, and their 
prayers, that God would remove '' this 
death/' 

It seems now that Pharaoh is about to 
yield and let us go. But he has often 
mocked our expectations. 

Moses has asked God to remove this 
judgment. The wind has changed and is 
blowing strong from the west. The 
locusts are all on the wing, they darken 
the sky again as they go over our heads 
on their way to the Red Sea, where they 
will all be destroyed. 

Moses is very great in the land of 
Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, 
and in the sight of the people. 

Pharaoh has again settled back in his 
stubbornness, and says, the Hebrews shall 
not leave his land. 

This is the fourth time he has professed 
penitence, made promises, and broken 
them. Moses and Aaron have decided 
not to go to Pharaoh again unless he sends 



66 Story of Moses. 

for them. Another judgment, the ninth, 
is to come. How dreadful ! At God's 
command Moses has again stretched 
forth his hand that there may be darkness. 

There is a strange appearance in the 
sky and the Egyptians are in the streets 
watching it. Some think the locusts are 
returning, others that the last day is come; 
while the priests and the sorcerers say, 
that their god, the sun, is offended and de- 
mands a sacrifice. It is not yet noon, but 
it is so dark that nothing can be seen. 

The beasts and the fowls have gone to 
rest, and men are groping their way home 
to their families. 

The lamps which the Egyptians lighted 
burnt only for a short time and then went 
out, and they are sitting in a darkness 
w^hich they can feel with their hand, thick 
and damp. They are horrified. 

How strange that we and all the 
Hebrews have light in our dwellings ! 
It gives us an opportunity to prepare for 
our departure, which must be very near. 
Pharaoh must yield soon. 

This morning is the third day of the 



The Exodus, 67 

darkness, and some faint glimpses of light 
begin to appear in the east. The Egyp- 
tians have not been able to move from 
their places all this time, and now as the 
light increases they are beginning to 
appear in the streets. The birds are 
chirping and the cattle lowing, after their 
long rest. 

The king has sent for Moses and Aaron 
and orders them to take the Hebrews and 
their families and go and worship their 
God, but to leave their cattle behind. 

Moses replied boldly and with spirit, 
" Our cattle also shall go with us ; there 
shall not a hoof be left behind ; for there- 
of must we take to serve the Lord our 
God.'' Pharaoh was very angry, and said, 
'' Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, 
see my face no more ; for in that day thou 
seest my face thou shalt die.'' And Moses 
^aid, '' Thou hast spoken well, I will see 
thy face again no more." The Lord said 
that he would send one more plague : 

'*About midnight will I go out into the 
midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the 
land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of 



68 Story of Moses. 

Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even 
unto the firstborn of the maidservant, 
that is behind the mill ; and all the first- 
born of beasts. And there shall be a great 
cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such 
as there was none like it, nor shall be like 
it any more. But against any of the 
children of Israel shall not a dog move his 
tongue, against man or beast : that ye 
may know how that the Lord doth put a 
difference between the Egyptians and Is- 
rael. And all these thy servants shall come 
down unto me, and bow down themselves 
unto me, saying. Get thee out, and all the 
people that follow thee : and after that I 
will go out." 

The king was very angry at Moses ; but 
he would not let the children of Israel go. 
And Moses went out from Pharaoh. 

The Hebrews have been convinced by 
these repeated judgments that they are to 
be set free. FamiUes with their goods 
and cattle are congregating in this part of 
the country. Goshen is full and yet they 
come. All would be confusion were it not 
for Moses, who is appointing officers over 



The Exodus. 69 

the tribes, and dividing them up into com- 
panies of hundreds and of thousands. 
All know their commanders and are ready 
to obey. There is solemnity on every 
face. The people are awed, and waiting. 

The Egyptians are in great fear and 
consternation, and know not what to ex- 
pect next. 

Pharaoh knows that all our people have 
left his brick yards and all other work, yet 
he does nothing. He feels that he is 
powerless, yet he will not say the word 
and let us go. 

God has commanded that we ask jewels 
of gold and jewels of silver from the 
Egyptians whom we served so long for so 
Httle ; and we are doing it. How free 
they are to give us ! They say we are the 
cause of all their trouble, and that we are 
welcome to all we ask if we will but leave 
the land. The crisis is at hand. Moses 
has seen our officers and given them 
orders to be ready on the 14th of this 
month. A year old lamb, free from 
blemish, is to be taken on the tenth by 
each family, or by two small families 



70 Story of Moses. 

^united, and kept four days. In the even- 
ing these lambs are to be killed all at the 
same time, and their blood sprinkled, with 
a bunch of hyssop, upon the sides and lin- 
tels of the doors ; for at midnight the angel 
of death is to pass over the land and 
enter every house that has no blood mark, 
and take the life of the oldest child. 

The lamb is to be roasted by fire, not 
one of its bones being broken, and eaten 
by the people, w^ho are to be dressed, their 
staves in their hands, ready to depart v^hen 
the word shall come. For we are to be 
thrust out. 

The Egyptians have heard that the 
angel of death is coming and are greatly 
troubled. The priests are calling upon 
their dumb animal gods to avert this judg- 
ment, but the poor creatures have no 
power to protect themselves. Pharaoh 
pays no regard to the entreaties of the 
people, but persists in his stubbornness. 
The blow must fall. 

The 14th has arrived, and no words can 
paint the agitation of all classes. A pall 
of horror hangs over Egypt ; and the 



The Exodus. 71 

Hebrews are awe struck by their situa- 
tion. Our lamb, whose blood is to be our 
atonement, is quietly cropping the grass 
by our door. He symbolizes a greater 
sacrifice which is to come through this 
chosen nation, even the promised Mes- 
siah. 



Pharaoh of the Exodus. Menephtha II. 

Rameses is to be our place of rendez- 
vous, and it is nearly filled, yet the people 
come and take their appointed places in 
their tribes ; all are orderly and solemn. 

Pharaoh we hear is greatly disturbed, 



72 Story of Moses. 

and scarcely knows what he is doing. 
His eldest son, the heir to the throne, is 
watched with solitude. 

The day is departing. All, both Egyp- 
tians and Hebrews, have retired to their 
homes, our lamb has been killed by Aaron, 
and its warm blood has been sprinkled 
upon the door posts and lintels. The 
lamb is roasted and eaten, and the Whole 
Hebrew nation of two millions of souls or 
more stand waiting. 

The hour of midnight has arrived, and 
at this moment the angel of death is pass- 
ing silently from house to house, but a 
great cry of agony follows in his track. 

There is not an Egyptian house where 
there is not one dead. Pharaoh and his 
people have been up all night in great 
terror. 

A messenger has arrived in great haste 
from the king, who commands that we be 
gone. '' Rise up ... Be gone ! be 
gone !" echoes on every hand, and the 
Hebrews are in haste to obey. The 
women, the children, and the aged are 
placed, as far as possible, upon camels, 



The Exodus. 73 

and the rest on foot take their places 
under their commanders, and are moving 
away by their tribes. Moses and Aaron 
go before, and near them are Hur, and 
Aaron's four sons. There is not a sick 
person in our ranks, and we move away 
rapidly. 

Shouts of gratitude are rising on every 
hand, for we all realize that we are free, 
and on our way to the land promised to 
Abraham. 

There is a peculiar bright light just 
ahead of Moses, which he follows closelv and 
says it is the Angel of the Lord. Were it 
not for this light we should walk in dark- 
ness. There are several hours yet before 
daybreak, and we hope to put a long dis- 
tance between ourselves and Pharaoh 
before the sun is up. The Egyptians will 
have enough to do for a day or two in 
burying their dead (Numbers 33 14), and 
by the time that is done we shall be well 
on our journey. 

A multitude of Egyptians are following 
in our ranks, and asking to be allowed to 
cast in their lot with us. Their idolatry 



74 Story of Moses. 

will be a snare to our people. The sun is 
up but we still press on. As I look back 
upon the open country I see it is covered 
with our dear people. They seem to be 
forgetful of their fatigue and hunger, and 
are singing and shouting. Who ever saw 
such a sight as this before? The pillar of 
fire has changed to a pillar of cloud, and 
is as plainly seen as it was last night. 
Moses keeps near it. 

The day is far advanced and the cloud 
stands still, and Moses has ordered a halt. 
It is a joyful sound. We are about twenty 
miles now from our blood stained homes 
in Egypt. May our oppressors remember 
the power of our God as they look upon 
them ! 

As far back over the tribes as we can 
see, there is great activity. Camels are 
being unloaded, trees chopped down and 
booths, or arbors are being built to cover 
the people. We are to stay here till to- 
morrow morning. 

Friends unexpectedly meet friends, and 
all are glad to divide with each other the 
unleavened dough they brought, or what- 



The Exodus. 75 

ever else they have. Fires are kindled that 
we may have enough bread to last us the 
next seven days. Our great herds of 
cattle find pasturage here. Joy and glad- 
ness, with the sound of the timbrel, and 
the harp, are heard in all directions. The 
idea is growing upon the people that they 
are free. 

• Four hundred and thirty years we have 
been in Egypt (Ex. 12 : 40). But with a 
stretched out hand God has brought us 
forth. This night is never to be forgotten, 
and when we reach Canaan it will be com- 
memorated as the feast of tabernacles, or 
of booths, that our children may learn 
what the Lord did for us. 

Moses has some fear that Pharaoh, in 
his madness, may pursue us. The sleep 
of the night has been refreshing, and the 
thousands are awake, and busy getting 
ready to go forward. The morning meal 
has been eaten, the water sacks filled. 
The booths, a city of themselves, are left 
standing, which will mark to Pharaoh our 
first night's resting place. The pillar of 
fire is moving and we all go forward. 



76 Story of Moses. 

The country is generally level, and not 
well supplied with vegetation. Water is 
found less frequent, and by to-morrow we 
shall be in the desert. 

As we have arrived upon its border and 
the people are weary, we halt here for the 
night. 

We have travelled but ten miles to-day, 
for we all feel the excitement and toil we 
have been through, and our cattle and 
sheep need rest. Our stay here will be 
short. 

The day has again come, and the pillar 
of fire is moving. The tribes are follow- 
ing. I see the ensigns of Judah, of Levi, 
and Reuben, and Issachar, and Joseph, 
with many others floating in this sweet 
morning breeze. It is hard walking over 
these black stones, but there is no other 
way and we press on. 

Moses has had a communication from 
God, but does not tell us what it is. He 
seems excited and is urging the people 
forward as rapidly as he can. Many are 
asking if Pharaoh is coming, and often 
look from rising ground back over the 



The Exodus, 77 

country. Some are saying, How are we 
to cross the Red Sea when we come to it ? 
We answer, Trust God and follow the 
pillar. It is all we can do. 

The mountains seem converging to- 
wards the sea, and we are between them. 
The pillar of cloud rests, though the night 
is still far off Every one is uneasy, and 
looking as if expecting something. But 
what does this great and sudden confusion 
mean? The people are running and 
shouting, Pharaoh is coming ! Pharaoh is 
upon us ! What can we do ? We are 
hemmed in by the mountains and the sea. 
They are reproaching Moses and saying, 
Because there were no graves in Egypt 
hast thou taken us away to die in the wil- 
derness ? You should have left us alone 
in Egypt as we asked you to do. It is a 
fearful time and we are all distressed. 

Moses stands calm and firm against this 
outburst of the people, and is trying to 
show them that God will deliver them. 
We see the cloud moving over and taking 
a position between us and the Egyptians. 
It is dark on their side, but we can see. 



78 Story of Moses. 

Pharaoh knovv's we are hemmed in and 
so has encamped for the night. He 
designs to come down on us in the morn- 
ing with his captains and his six hundred 
chariots, w^ith their long scythes, to cut us 
to pieces. To add to our gloom, night is 




An Egyptian Chariot. -* 

coming upon us, and a strong east wind 
has sprung up, accompanied with thunder 
and lightning which is terrifying 

There w^as a nearer way to the land of 
Canaan, south of the Mediterranean and 
on through the land of the Philistines 



The Exodus. 79 

But they would have made war upon us, 
and our men have not the spirit to resist. 
Then our people would have returned 
again to Egypt. So God cares for us and 
adapts his treatment to our infirmities. 

Moses has Joseph's bones with us. 
They must not be lost. Moses is anxious 
and has been calling on God, who says, 
** Wherefore criest thou unto me ? Speak 
unto the children of Israel, that they go 
forward: . . . stretch out thine hand 
over the sea and divide it : and the chil- 
dren of Israel shall go on dry ground 
through the midst of the sea.'' 

Moses with his rod lifted, and with a 
voice that is heard above 
the thunder and the 
tumult cries. Go forward. 
He leads the way down 
into the sea, rapidly fol- 
lowed by the excited fran- 
tic people and their low- 
ing herds. The shouts of the men, the 
screams of the women and the children, 
the lowing of the cattle and bleating of the 
sheep, added to the storm, is exciting be- 




8o Story of Moses. 

yond description. The sea is divided and 
stands as a wall on either side, and we 
press down and enter boldly this trough, 
and go forward rapidly. The pillar of fire 
moves on, and Moses follows and leads 
this host. Surely, God's people are led 
like a flock, by the hand of Moses and 
Aaron. Hours have passed since we 
entered this sea, yet the morning has not 
yet dawned, and we press on till we stand 
upon the opposite shore. 

» Pharaoh's host has discovered our 
flight and has rushed down with his 
chariots, captains and horsemen into the 
divided sea. Will God allow us to be 
overtaken and destroyed ? Moses has 
assured us that we shall see Pharaoh's 
hosts no more. God seems to be fighting 
for us ; the storm increases. 

The skies send out a sound : the arrows 
of God are abroad. '' The voice of thy 
thunder was in the heaven ; the lightnings 
lightened the world ; the earth trembled 
and shook.'' (Psalm "jj : i8.) 

The Lord has looked upon Pharaoh 
and has troubled his host. His army is 



The Exodus. 8i 

entangled, their chariot wheels are off, and 
they are trying to turn back, they are 
overturned and their horses are trampling 
them to death. 

Daylight has come, and all our people 
are gazing back upon this scene of horror. 
Moses stands on a high rock, and at 
God's command has stretched his rod over 
the sea, and the mountains of water on 
either hand are pouring back into the 
trough, and meeting, are surging back and 
forth, and the great host is now at its 
mercy. Wave meets wave, throwing hel- 
meted men and broken wheels high into 
the air, only to fall back upon the sharp 
scythes and struggling mass below. Not 
one can be saved. Truly the Lord fighteth 
for his people. 

There is great rejoicing among our 
people, and now they believe in God, and 
in his servant Moses. Wonderful deliver- 
ance ! There is nothing more to fear 
from Egypt. We encamp here for rest, 
which we all greatly need. The pillar of 
cloud is still with us. As we look back 
over the sea the range of mountains which 



8 2 Story of Moses, 

hemmed us in last night, is in plain view. 
Another range east of us runs towards 
the south. We shall travel between it 
and the sea when we move. Several 
bodies of the Egyptians have washed 
ashore, and have been buried by our 
young men. Their gold ornaments and 
their implements of war will be of use to 
us. The face of Pharaoh we shall see no 
more. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE SONG OF TRIUMPH. 

We have prepared for a grand celebra- 
tion to commemorate God's deliverance. 
Moses has written a poem which inspires 
us with enthusiasm. 

The nation is to assemble to-day on the 
sea-shore. The men singers in one body 
and the women sinorers will answer with a 

o 

refrain at each pause. I am to lead those 
women with timbrels and dances, in the 
worship. 

The hour has arrived, and every bosom 
beats high with exultant joy. The men 
sing with one voice : 

I will sing unto the Lord, 

For he hath triumphed gloriously: 

The horse and his rider hath he thrown 

Into the depths of the sea. 

The LoKD is my strength and mj song, 

He is become my salvation : 

He is my God, and I will praise him ; 

My father's God, and I will exalt him. 

(83) 



84 Story of Moses. 

The refrain of the women, keeping 
time with the timbrels : 

Sing ye unto the Lokd, for he hath triumphed gloriously ; 
The horse and his rider hath he cast into the sea. 

Men. — Jehovah is a man of war : 
Jehovah is his name ; 
Pharaoh's chariots and his host 
Hath he cast into the sea : 
The choicest of his captains, 
Are sunk in the reedy sea. 
The floods have covered them : 
They sank into the depths 
Like a stone. 

Thy righteous hand, O Jehovah, 
Hath shown itself glorious in majesty: 
Thy right hand, O Jehovah, 
Hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 
By thine exalted power 
Thou dash est those that rise against thee : 
Thou sentest forth thy wrath, 
It consumed them like stubble. 
At the blast of thy nostrils 
The waters were gathered together. 
The swelling flood stood up like heaps ; 
The waves were congealed 
In the depths of the sea. 

Women. — Sing ye unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed 
gloriously ; 
The horse and his rider hath he cast into the Eed 
Sea. 

Men. — The enemy said, I will pursue. 

Will seize, will divide the spoil ; 
- My soul shall glut itself with them ; 



The Song of Triumph. 85 

My sword will I draw out, 
And utterly destroy them. 
Then breathed the wind ; 
The sea covered them : 
They sank as lead 
In the mighty waters. 

Women. — Sing ye unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed 
gloriously ; 
The horse and his rider hath he cast into the Red 
Sea. 

Men. — Who is like to thee, O Lord, 
Who among the gods ? 
Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, 
Fearful in praises, doing wonders ? 
Thou stretchedst out thy hand, 
The earth swallowed them up. 
With gentle hand thou leadest forth 
The people which thou hast redeemed : 
Thou guidest them with strength 
Unto thy holy habitation. 
The nations hear thereof and tremble: 
Grief seizes on the dwellers in Philistia ; 
The princes of Edom are amazed ; 
The heroes of Moab are seized with dread ; 
The dwellers of Canaan are melting away. 

Women. — Sing ye unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed 
gloriously ; 
The horse and his rider hath he cast into the Red 
Sea. 

Men. — Let fear and dread fall upon them, 

The terrors of death from thy mighty arm. 
Let them be motionless as a stone. 
Till thy people, O Lord, pass over. 



86 Story of Moses, 

Till thy people pass, whom thou hast redeemed. 

Bring them in, O Lobd ; 

Plant thy people 

Upon the mountain of thine inheritance, 

The place of thy habitation. 

Which thou hast made ready for thyself, 

The sanctuary which thy hands have made. 

Jehovah reigns forever and ever. 

Forth marched the horses of Pharaoh and his chariots ; 

He went with his horsemen down into the sea ; 

Then brought Jehovah upon them 

The returning waves of the sea. 

The tribes of Israel passed dry 

Through the midst of the sea.^ 

Then all the women with timbrels and 
dances answered again. 

Sing ye unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously ; 
The horse and his rider hath he cast into the Eed Sea. 

The day with its hearty worship has 
passed, and now the sun is sinking slowly 
in the west beyond our deserted Egyp- 
tian homes. It casts its slanting rays upon 
the sea, dazzling our eyes, and then dis- 
appearing, to return in the morning. Our 
provisions are prepared, the water sacks 
filled, and all things are ready for an early 
move. Our tribes have gone to their rest, 

^ '' The spirit of Hebrew Poetry." — J. G. Hejrder. 



The Song of Triumph, 87 

and, soothed by the pulsing v/aters of the 
sea, are sleeping soundly. The sea, the 
mountains and the deserts are our sur- 
roundings, yet the pillar of fire sheds 
light around our encampments and we are 
safe. 

While we have been staying here these 
few days, the people have been looking at 
the jewels of gold and silver, which were 
given them by the Egyptians. The 
amount of treasure is astonishing. 

The beautiful ear-rings which they have 
put upon themselves, and into the ears of 
their sons and daughters (Ex. 32 : 2), 
contrast strangely with the coarse dresses 
which they wore while in bondage, and 
still have on ; but they call them trophies 
from their oppressors and seem happy. 
The Egyptians are truly spoiled while we 
are enriched. The Lord did not allow us 
to go out empty. 

The morning watch has come, and the 
people are astir. The cattle which have 
been feeding in the valley are brought up, 
and the herdsmen and the shepherds are 
ready whenever the pillar of cloud shall 



88 Story of Moses. 

move, Moses' commanding form I see here 
and there, as he gives orders to the heads 
of the tribes. He knows the wilderness 
we are to travel through, and is urging 
the people to carry all the water possible. 
Great patience is required in directing the 
mixed multitude who follow us. They are 
ready to consume food without providing 
for themselves. Moses has great confi- 
dence in his officers, especially in the 
young man Joshua, who is as brave as he 
is active. Caleb also leads his tribe with 
military skill, and his nephew Othniel is 
very helpful in many ways. Yet the 
responsibility rests upon Moses, whose 
early training has qualified him to fill his 
position well. *There is not a man in all 
our host that can compare with him in 
education, piety, or commanding presence. 
He is a historian, a poet, and a soldier. 

Our course to-day is southeast, along the 
sea, and though we are in a desert we are 
free and happy. 

Snatches of the song we sang yester- 
day float over the air occasionally from the 
voices of the men, and I with the women 



The Song of Triumph, 89 

always respond with our chorus. We 
have seen shepherds to-day among the hills 
with their flocks. They seem to be as- 
tonished at our numbers. 

This is our third day. We are travel- 
ling among hills of limestone, blackened 
with flint. In the shallows are drift sands. 
In the west near the sea is a barren, 
black, desolate mountain. As rain seldom 
falls here, the mountains are dry and the 
sun's rays are hot. Water is talked of 
by all. We have but little left in our 
sacks, and Moses has sent men ahead to 
see if any can be found. Many are com- 
plaining of thirst, and children are crying. 
The cattle, covered with dust, are running 
here and there seeking for water. Unless 
water is soon found the turbulent ones 
will create an outbreak. They have be- 
gun again to blame Moses. They ap- 
proach him and say, What shall we drink? 
Give us water ! He is as thirsty as they, 
yet uncomplaining. 

A joyful cry comes from those who 
were sent ahead. Green bushes are in 
sight which indicate water. All the people 



90 Story of Moses, 

have quickened their steps and are cry- 
ing, Water ! water ! 

How refreshing it looks as it runs over 
the rocks and sparkles in the sunshine ! 
But what a cry of disappointment as the 
people try to drink it. They cry '' Marah !" 
the water is bitter, brackish ; it cannot be 
used, and the men blame Moses, and say, 
We and our children are dying ! Give us 
water! Would that we had never left 
Egypt ! 

At God's command Moses *has cut 
down a small tree and cast it into the 
fountain. The people look incredulous 
and seem to be saying, what good will 
that do ? Others are tasting cautiously, 
and then the cry goes up, It is good. All 
drink freely and are satisfied. 

Moses has been talking to them of their 
unreasonable conduct, and they seem 
ashamed, and are willing to enter into a 
covenant with God. They promise to 
keep all God's commandments and obey 
all his statutes. God promises, if they do, 
to keep them in health, saving them from 
the deadly diseases which he brought upon 



The Song of Triumph, 91 

the Egyptians. It is easy to promise 
when all goes well. But when trouble 
comes, then they murmur and sin. Here 
we stay for the night. The people are 
preparing their food, and we shall go for- 
ward in the morning with renewed life and 
hopes. 

The pillar of fire appears as the day goes 
out, and it is night. God gives his be- 
loved sleep while he watches over them. 

The day has again come, the tents are 
down, the camels loaded, and we begin to 
move forward. Moses tells us that there 
are twelve wells of water and seventy 
palm-trees but eight miles ahead, so we 
take but little of this water with us. This 
mountain air is exhilarating, and we go 
forward with a light step. 

A broad valley comes in and extends to 
the sea. Grass and some shrubbery are 
here, and our cattle and sheep seize upon 
it eagerly. The faint warbling of a bird 
is heard in the distance, and reminds us 
of our early home. There are many 
pleasant recollections in our hearts of 
Egypt, notwithstanding all we endured. 



92 Story of Moses. 

There we were born, and there we have 
left the graves of our parents and friends. 
Gladly would we have brought their 
remains with us, had it been possible, as 
Moses has brought Joseph's bones. 

The verdure increases, and trees of 
various kinds are seen. A spring bursts 
from the rock and, running in our direc- 
tion, forms a pool of clear, cold water. It 
is surrounded with bushes, and men rush 
forward to drink. Bursts of song, and 
joyous laughter are heard on every side. 
I rejoice with the multitude, as I have all 
along sympathized with them in their 
sorrow. 

The pillar of cloud has rested. We 
have arrived at Elim, the twelve wells and 
the seventy palm-trees, and here we 
encamp for a few days. Here Moses 
rested forty years ago, when he fled from 
Pharaoh. 

How delightful to pitch our tents upon 
the green grass ! The children, dear ones, 
are delighted, and hundreds of them are 
playing up and down in the valley. 

It is easy to praise the Lord under these 



The Song of Triumph. 93 

circumstances, and all hearts seem to rise 
in thanksgiving this evening. 

We have been out of Egypt three weeks. 
When shall we reach the land of promise 
at this rate ? No doubt we shall require 
much discipline, for the people are in a 
crude and refractory state. They have 
many difficulties now among themselves, 
and Moses sometimes sits a whole day 
hearing their complaints and judging 
them. He is very meek and forbearing ; 
I trust he will have patience with all our 
failings. 

To-day we are baking our bread and 
preparing for our journey, for to-morrow 
we must go forward. We find that the 
corn which we brought from Egypt is 
gone, and many are asking what we are to 
do. God will provide, but I cannot see 
how. 

The day arrives for us to move. The 
camp is astir, the water-sacks filled, the 
tents struck, and we are going. We all 
cast loving looks towards the beautiful 
trees, and the fresh water, but we cannot 
always stay in pleasant places. We have 



94 



Story of Moses, 



Canaan to reach. A long day's journey 
is before us ; not less than sixteen miles. 
The scenery is familiar to Moses and 
Aaron, who so lately passed through here. 
The tall, bare peak at the south, Moses 
says is Mount Sinai. The day has been 




Valley of Ellra, where were twelve wells of water. 

warm, for summer is near, but cool 
breezes come from the Red Sea, which we 
are again approaching, for it bends up to 
our line of march. We are weary with 
this day's travel, and are glad to see its 
glistening waters again. Darkness is 



The Song of Triumph. 95 

gathering round us, and we halt here for 
the night. The stars are coming out over 
our heads, and the great face of the moon 
is peering over the mountain tops. Our 
weary cattle have lain down to rest ; the 
tribes are asleep, and nothing is heard in 
all this desert save the low sobbing waves 
that strike upon the rocky shore. 

How wonderfully God divided those 
waters and delivered us ! We will trust 
him always. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE MANNA. 

A MOUNTAIN projects to the sea leaving 
but a narrow pass for us, and this morning 
we are filing along around the point and 
striking out upon the sandy desert, called 
the Valley of Sin; we are passing over 
the most barren ground we have seen. 
East of us mountains upon mountains 
stretch off as far as the eye can reach. 

There seems to be no way of supplying 
ourselves with food here ; the corn sacks 
are empty, and there is great murmuring 
among the different divisions. Their 
leaders have no way of getting food, and 
are worried and discouraged. Nadab and 
Abihu, and even Eleazar and Ithamar are 
asking why their uncle is leading the 
tribes where starvation is sure. They 
know that the pillar of fire leads Moses: 

(96) 



The Manna. 97 

yet it is hard to reason with those who 
have no food. 

We have been from Egypt one month, 
and it is a wonder our corn lasted so long. 
We pause for a little rest here, and the 
leaders of the tribes have gathered about 
Moses, complaining and asking what they 
are to do for their people who have noth- 
ing to eat. Moses points to the cloud 
and assures them that God will provide. 
He enumerates all the wonderful dealings 
of God for their deliverance in the past, 
and bids us trust him now, even in this dark- 
ness, and he will come to our relief. It is 
not against us, he says, that you mur- 
mur, ''but against the Lord." 

Instead of quiet being restored there Is 
a general murmuring. The w^hole congre- 
gation are saying, ''Would to God we 
had died by the hand of the Lord in the 
land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh- 
pots, and when we did eat bread to the 
full ! for ye have brought us forth into this 
wilderness, to kill this whole assembly 
with hunger." They are sinning against 
God, but Moses is praying for them. 



98 Story of Moses, 

God has answered by saying he will rain 
down bread from heaven, which we are to 
gather every morning, except on the Sab- 
bath ; and in the evening meat is to be 
given to all the congregation. 

While Moses was before the Lord, the 
people pitched their tents, and they are now 
indulging a threatening and rebellious 
spirit. There is great commotion through- 
out the camp. 

Moses has sent Aaron out to say to the 
people, '' Come near be- 
fore the Lord : for he hath 
/VaI!^!^ ~ heard your murmurings." 
^■^^•^t' -^^f) They are coming from 

every direction and taking 
their stand before Moses 
and Aaron. A discon- 
tented multitude seem on the point of 
rebellion. Aaron rises to speak and they 
become quiet. He tells them about the 
same that Moses did, but a short time be- 
fore ; he talks of all the care and love that 
God has given them, and says, You are 
now directly rebelling against God, who 
may come out in wrath upon you imme- 




The Manna. 99 

diately. While he was yet speaking, the 
cloud became illuminated by the presence 
of the Lord, and a voice said to Moses, 
*' I have heard the murmurings of the 
children of Israel : speak unto them, say- 
ing. At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the 
morning ye shall be filled with bread ; and 
ye shall know that I am the Lord your 
God." 

The people were awed by what they 
had seen and heard ; and went back to 
their tents humbled. 

Before night the sky was darkened by 
great flocks of quails, and the whole 
nation rushed out to see the strange sight. 
Those birds migrate about this season, 
and these by long flight seemed weary, 
and they dropped all over the camp. All 
the tribes rushed into the work of killing 
the birds and throwing them into heaps, 
while the women and children prepared 
them for cooking ; and again the flesh-pots 
were full, and the people feasted with 
great joy and rejoicing. With this satis- 
fying supper, and the refreshing sleep that 
followed, they are quite ready to trust 



lOO Stoiy of Moses. 

God and believe in Moses. Many of them 
are now out in the early dawn looking for 
the promised bread. In what shape it is 
to come they have no knowledge, and 
while some are looking up to the heavens, 
others have discovered that the grourni is 
covered with a small, white substance, 
looking much like coriander seed. In their 
surprise they say, What is it? Manna! 
manna ! They are wondering what it is. 
Moses walks out among the people and 
says, ''This is the bread which the Lord 
hath given you to eat. . . . Gather of 
it, every man according to his eating/' 
enough for the day, — an omer, about five 
pints, but no more, for it will fall again on 
the morrow. So every morning we say. 
Give us this day our daily bread, and God 
opens his hand and we are fed. We 
grind the manna and make it into bread, 
like wafers. Some of the people diso- 
beyed God yesterday and gathered more 
than they needed, but this morning it was 
wormy and very offensive. Strange that 
any one should dare to provoke God to 
anger when he is so kind to us. 



The Manna, loi 

We are to remain in camp over the Sab- 
bath, and before that day we gather 
enough for two days. We are to begin 
anew to sanctify the seventh day, which 
was so much disregarded while we were 
in Egypt. The Lord has said to Moses, 
'' To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sab- 
bath unto the Lord ; bake that which ye will 
bake to-day, -^vlA seethe that ye will seethe ; 
and ... let no man go out of his 
place on the seventh day." No manna 
will fall on that day. This bread is very 
sweet and satisfying, and we all rejoice 
that we are to go hungry no more. 

The people are in good spirits, and 
while they are busy preparing food for the 
morrow we hear them say, All that the 
Lord commands we will do. It is easy 
to trust God when we want nothing. 

They have little idea of what God 
requires on his holy Sabbath and need in- 
struction. Many of them are famihar 
with the worship of the ox, or the calf, and 
would be ready to join in the worship of 
such gods. But all this must be put away. 
We have but one God, even Jehovah. 



I02 Story of Moses, 

The day of rest has come, and as I look 
out over the large encampment, I see 
some of our people out with dishes look- 
ing for manna. I am astonished that they 
dare to provoke God, who has fed us so 
bountifully and cares for us so lovingly. 

God has spoken to Moses and asks, 
'' How long refuse ye to keep my command- 
ments and my laws ?" and he says, ''Let 
no man go out of his place on the seventh 
day/' For the remainder of the day the 
people are obedient. So ends our first 
Sabbath in this wilderness of Sin. 

A new day dawns and the camp is astir. 
We see the little w^hite manna thickly 
strewn over the ground and the rocks ; 
and on every side are people gathering it 
into their measures. We are to go for- 
ward to-day, and we are glad to leave this 
barren valley. We entered it in a rebel- 
lious state of mind ; we all go away rejoic- 
ing. God has commanded Moses to take 
a golden pot, fill it with manna, and keep 
it to show to the generations to come, that 
they may see the bread which their fathers 
fed on in the wilderness. 



The Manna, 103 

We have a beautiful golden pot, a gift 
from the Egyptians, which holds about 
five pints. Moses has taken it out to fill 
with manna. It will be covered tightly 
and the manna will never spoil. 

It is surprising that there is not a sick 
person among the thousands who left 
Egypt, and what is more strange, our 
clothes do not wear out. 

We have followed the Red Sea down for 
a great distance, but to-day we take an 
easterly course, and may never see its 
waters ag-ain. It is wonderful how well 
our aged people bear this journey. As I 
cast my eyes back I see many of them a 
hundred years old, or over, seated upon 
camels, with children before and behind 
them. They are amused by the prattle of the 
little ones and often smile. The babes 
are carried in their fathers' and mothers' 
arms, while those who are old enough 
walk by their side. 

The way is rough, but we go forward 
under the brightness of this pillar of fire. 
Many of the people are distrustful and 
say we shall see no more manna, if we 



I04 Story of Moses. 

strike off into these mountains. But as 
long as we follow where God leads we may 
trust him. In some valleys we find pas- 
turage and water, and much to our joy 
the bread from heaven follows us. 

A new annoyance is arising. Moses is 
told that a large band of the Amalekites, 
who roam over these mountains with their 
flocks looking for pasture, have attacked 
our rear and have killed some of our 
people, and robbed others of their jewelry 
and cattle. They say we have no right to 
feed our cattle here. They are following 
us, and will make us all the trouble 
they can. Moses is strongly tempted to 
give them battle, but we still press for- 
ward. To add to our trouble, water is 
scarce and complaints are increasing. 

Mount Sinai has been in sight many 
days while we have been passing black 
rocky cliffs. Now we have come to a 
more open country which we call Rephi- 
dim, and Moses has ordered a halt, for 
the people are rebellious. It is hard to 
manage two million people in these cir- 
cumstances. Never have we had such a 



The Manna. 105 

disturbance as this. The camp is in an 
uproar. The mixed multitude who follow 
us, and share our blessings, have become 
bold, and are exciting others to acts of 
violence. A crowd has gathered around 
Moses, and with threatening gestures are 
asking, with a loud voice, '' Wherefore is 
this that thou hast brought us up out of 
Egypt, to kill us and our children and our 
cattle with thirst?" . . . ''Give us 
water that we may drink !" 

Moses assures them that they are mur- 
muring against God and tempting him to 
destroy them ; but they are too much ex- 
cited to care for what he says. 

Moses has been praying, telling God 
that the people are ready to stone him, 
and asking what to do. 

God commands Moses to call the elders 
together and go to Horeb where he is to 
smite a rock with his rod. Water, God 
says, shall flow out that the people may 
drink. The people are unbelieving and 
sneer ; but they have seen greater mira- 
cles than that will be. 

Horeb, whose top we see, is about ten 



io6 Story of Moses, 

miles off in a southerly direction ; a long 
walk, yet Moses and the elders are gone. 
Caleb and Joshua are always faithful. 
Moses puts confidence in them at all times, 
and they are with him. 

The water, the people say, cannot reach 
us before morning, and they have quieted 
down and gone to rest. 

It is now after midnight. The stars are 
out, and the moon is shedding a soft light 
among the mountains where Moses is. 
Strange must be his feelings as he stands 
again on Horeb, where he saw the burn- 
ing bush, and talked with God. 

But hark ! I hear the rushing sound of 
water, and persons in the distance are 
shouting. Water ! water ! A joyful cry 
goes up from the camp, and thousands are 
rushing out to see the miracle. The cattle 
and the sheep are also running, lowing and 
bleating towards the stream. How merci- 
ful is God to this rebellious people ! 

Moses has come back and is welcomed, 
even by those who yesterday threatened 
his life. I trust we shall now have peace. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

WAR. 

To-day our whole nation is in alarm, for 
the Amalekites, we are told, are lying in 
wait for us. They have hung around our 
camp for several days, and are determined 
to cut us off from the promised land. 
They see the pillar of fire at night and 
know that God leads us, but they have no 
fear of him. Moses says we must give 
them battle. This is exciting our people 
greatly, for they have never seen w^ar. 

We have six hundred thousand strono- 
men, who are willing to fight ; but all will 
not be called out, as our God can conquer 
by few as well as by many. 

Joshua is better fitted to command the 
troops than any one, and he will lead 
them to battle. He is only forty-four 
years old. and full of energy and hope. 



io8 Story of Moses, 

He enters Into none of the rebellions of 
the people, but trusts in God and obeys 
Moses. 

He seems very solemn in view of the 
responsibilities that lie In the morrow; but 
Moses assures him that he shall be where 
he can watch the battle, and will pray for his 
success. 

All have retired early to-night that they 
may be ready by break of day, and noth- 
ing Is now heard in this solitude save the 
pleasant murmur of the water as It winds 
among the hills and falls over the project- 
ing rocks. 

Daylight has again come and the camp 
is astir. Mothers are preparing the hasty 
meal for their sons, who go out to battle 
to-day. Already the young men, with 
their sword, spears, bows and knives, are 
taking their places in the ranks : the camp 
is full of life, and the excited people are 
all out watching the troops, Joshua takes 
his place at the head, and they move off 
over the hills out of sight. 

As the day goes by we hear that the 
battle rages fearfully. Moses still sits on 




Moses, Aaron and Hur. 



War. Ill 

the spur of one of the mountains, his hands 
raised in prayer ; he has been there for 
hours, and his hands become weary and 
fall. Then the Amalekites prevail. Aaron 
and Hur, Caleb's son, are now with him 
holding his hands up. They will assist 
him as long as the battle lasts. 

The sun has gone down. Our people 
have now the victory, and are chasing the 
Amalekites over the hills, killing them, 
and securing great spoil, both in weapons 
and in stores. Moses is returning with 
the army, and shouts of victory and songs 
of praise are rising on all sides, and echo- 
ing- from mountain to mountain. The sol- 
diers are received into camp with great joy, 
and Moses is hailed as the great deliverer. 
Joshua having done so well, will be installed 
as the leading general when we reach 
Canaan, and he will drive out the inhabit- 
ants of the land. 

The attack of the Amalekites upon us 
was unprovoked, and God is about to 
sweep them from the earth. He has com- 
manded Moses to write his threatenings, 
and instructions in a book, and read it to 



1 1 2 Story of Moses. 

Joshua, that he may know his duty when 
he shall arrive at the promised land. 

Moses has built an altar as a memorial 
of God^s help in the battle, and calls it 
jEHOVAH-nissi — the Lord is my banner; 
around it we are to worship. 

Moses' heart is gladdened by the news 
that Jethro, his father-in-law, has arrived 
in camp, bringing with him Zipporah, and 
his two sons, Moses hurried forth to 
meet them. He bowed to the ground be- 
fore Jethro, and arose and kissed him. 
They then asked each other of their wel- 
fare. He received Zipporah with great 
joy, and kissing his two sons, he led them 
all into his tent. 

Zipporah is a noble woman, and Ger- 
shom and Eliezer are fine lads. They 
show great affection for their father, who 
rejoices in them. They have brought new 
life into our tents, and joy to all our hearts. 

Jethro, or Reuel, as some call him, is an 
aged, dignified prince, or priest, of sound 
judgment and true piety. He holds long 
conversations with Moses in regard to our 



War. 1 1 3 

life In Egypt, and how the Lord brought 
us away. Moses has rehearsed to him all 
that has befallen him since he left his 
home a year ago. When he spoke of 
Pharaoh's pursuit and final overthrow in 
the Red Sea, with all his army, Jethro was 
greatly moved, and exclaimed, 
*' Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered 
you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and 
out of the hand of Pharaoh ! . . . 
Now I know that the Lord is greater than 
all gods ; for in the thing wherein they dealt 
proudly he was above them/' 

He wishes to hold a feast to our God 
while he is here, and have Moses, and 
Aaron, and all the elders present. He 
does it to magnify the God who has de- 
livered us. 

To-day the altar has been built, and 
the feast held. Jethro being present, offered 
a burnt offering and sacrifices, and fire con- 
sumed them. He then offered others 
upon which the people feasted. It has 
been a great day with us. 

Moses enjoys the company of Jethro. 
But there are many cases of dispute 



114 Story of Moses. 

among the people which he must settle. 
The rebellions and the war have caused 
divisions among the tribes, and it is neces- 
sary they should be attended to. Jethro 
seems very much interested as Moses 
takes his elevated seat in the midst of the 
men who crowd around eager to tell him 
their grievances. It requires great judg- 
ment to decide in these quarrels, and 
Moses is often worn down with them. 

Jethro has been watching him all day 
and is much disturbed. He says Moses 
is wearing, not only himself, but the 
people out, by doing all this work himself. 
He seems to be thinking up some plan by 
w^hich they can be relieved. As Moses 
came in to-night he looked very weary. 
Scarcely had he taken his seat before 
Jethro said to Moses : 

The thing that thou doest is not good. 
Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and 
this people that is with thee ; for this 
thing is too heavy for thee ; thou art not 
able to perform it thyself alone. Heark- 
en now unto my voice, I will give thee 
counsel. . . . Thou shalt teach them 



War, 1 1 5 

ordinances and laws, and shalt show them 
the way wherein they must walk, and the 
work that they must do. Moreover, thou 
shalt provide out of all the. people able 
men, such as fear God, men of truth, hat- 
ing covetousness ; and place such over 
them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers 
of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and 
rulers of tens ; and let them iudcre the 
people at all seasons : and it shall be that 
every great matter they shall bring unto 
thee, but every small matter they shall 
judge : so it shall be easier for thyself, and 
they shall bear the burde^i with thee," 

Moses paid strict attention to Jethro's 
words, and says the plan is a good one, 
and he will carry it out. 

Jethro has been here many days and is 
making arrangements to leave. We have 
all enjoyed his visit, and are thankful for 
his counsel and prayers. 

Zipporah and Gershom and Eliezer will 
remain in the camp, and hereafter cast in 
their lot with us. We hope that not many 
more weeks will go by before we shall 
place our feet in the promised land, and 



1 1 6 Story of Moses. 

be through our wanderings. Jethro is 
gone and the people in camp are prepar- 
ing to go forward. We have been here 
at Rephidim many days, the manna has 
not failed, and the water still comes with 
its blessing. Our aged people and the 
children are rested, and the cattle have 
improved in flesh. We go from here in 
the morning, and now for the last time we 
lay ourselves down at Rephidim to sleep. 
God has blessed us here and we trust him 
for the future. 

Daylight is breaking upon us again, and 
our people are astir, tents are being taken 
down and camels loaded, while many of 
the people are out gathering manna for 
our day's food. We hear the sound of 
the mills, and the pounding of the manna, 
and there is a hurrying to and fro of the 
people. The cattle are moving in droves 
up the narrow valley towards Mount 
Horeb, where we are to worship our God. 
We follow up the stream in a southerly 
direction, and though the way is rough 
and wild, the people are talking cheer- 
fully, and outbursts of song are occasion- 



War. 1 1 7 

ally heard. Moses feels quite at home 
among these mountains and valleys where 
he fed Jethro's flocks forty years. He 
points out many familiar objects, and 
rehearses interesting incidents connected 
with them. 

We have now left the narrow way be- 
tween the mountains, and have struck into 
the valley that lies at the foot of Mount 
Horeb. This valley is about two miles 
wide, and is the same Moses crossed with 
his sheep after he saw the burning bush. 
How awful is this place ! Horeb rises 
abruptly from the plain, piercing the sky, 
and black, barren mountains frown upon 
us on every side. How dreadful to be 
here alone ! but Moses does not think so. 
The people have crowded upon the plain, 
covering most of it, and here the pillar of 
fire which guides us rests. We are to 
encamp before the Mount of God. 

It is about two months since we left 
Egypt. Our progress has been slow, but 
it is still early summer, and we are hopeful 
for the future. 

We were not here long before Moses 



1 1 8 Story of Moses. 

was called up into the mount to hear what 
God had to say. The people are all 
solemnized and are watching for his return, 
and wondering what word he will bring 
from Jehovah. 

Moses has come back and calls for the 
elders. When they are all assembled, he 
rises and says : 

Thus saith the Lord, '^ Ye have seen 
w^hat I did unto the Egyptians, and how I 
bare you on eagles' wings, and brought 
you unto myself, Now therefore, if ye 
will obey my voice indeed, and keep my 
covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar 
treasure unto me above all people ; for all 
the earth is mine : And ye shall be unto 
me a kingdom of priests, and a holy 
nation.'' 

There was perfect silence while Moses 
was speaking, and all the people said, 
*'A11 that the Lord hath spoken we will 
do." 

Moses has returned this answer to God, 
and now commands that the people be 
sanctified to-dav and to-morrow, and wash 
their clothes, for on the third day he will 



War. 1 1 9 

come in a thick cloud, and speak with a 
voice that all may hear. 

Moses is to set bounds around the 
mountain that no person may go near to 
touch the border of it, for if they touch 
it, they shall be stoned, or shot through, 
whether it be man or beast. When the 
trumpet sounds long and loud, all are to 
come from their tents and stand before the 
mount. 

The people are disposed to obey, and 
there is not a tent upon the plain where 
they are not washing and drying their 
clothes. These garments are the same we 
had on when we left Egypt, yet they are 
whole and good. To-night they will be 
ready, and to-morrow we put them on and 
appear before God. 

The moon is slowly rising above the 
lofty mountain peaks which surround us, 
and the manna is gently descending 
around the camp ; but all eyes are closed, 
and nothing breaks the stillness save the 
murmur of the water as it gushes from 
the smitten rock and runs across the plain. 

The third day has come, and it is ushered 



1 20 Story of Moses, 

in with thunderings that break over these 
mountains and reverberate through the 
dark recesses with terrific sound. The 
people are startled and we spring to our 
tent doors trembling, but before we realize 
what has happened, other peals louder and 
more dreadful follow in quick succession, 
accompanied by blinding flashes of light- 
ning. The cloud rests upon the rocking 
mountain. The earth trembles under our 
feet, and pale and trembling the people 
follow Moses towards the mountain, and 
come and stand before God. 

At every lull of the thunderings a trum- 
pet is heard exceeding loud, flames shoot 
up, clouds of smoke ascend as the smoke 
of a furnace, the mountain shakes. Jehovah 
has come down to speak to us ! Moses 
bows his head, and says, ''I exceedingly 
fear and quake." If he is afraid, how can 
we stand ? 

God commands Moses to come to the 
top of the mountain. Who would dare? 
Yet with meekness Moses moves forward 
and enters the darkness. He soon ap- 
pears again and says to the people, Break 



War. T 2 1 

not through the bounds to gaze, lest ye 
die. 

While we are thus standing in wonder 
and awe, a voice from the thick darkness 
says, '' I am the Lord thy God, which 
have brought thee out of the land of 
Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

'' Thou shalt have no other gods before 
me. 

" Thou shalt not make unto thee any 
graven image, or any like- 
ness of ajty thing that is 
in heaven above, or that 
is in the earth beneath, or 
that is in the water under 
the earth: Thou shalt not 
bow down thyself to them, 
nor serve them : for I the Lord thy God am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the 
fathers upon the children unto the third 
and fourth generation of them that hate 
me ; and showing mercy unto thousands 
of them that love me, and keep my com- 
mandments. 

''Thou shalt not take the name of the 
Lord thy God in vain ; for the Lord will 




12 2 Story of Moses. 

not hold him guiltless that taketh his 
name in vain. 

'' Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it 
holy. Six days shall thou labor, and do 
all thy work ; but the seventh day is the 
Sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou 
shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, 
nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor 
thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy 
stranger that is within thy gates : For in 
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, 
the sea, and all that in them is, and rested 
the seventh day : wherefore the Lord 
blessed the Sabbath day, and billowed it. 

''Honor thy father and thy mother: 
that thy days may be long upon the land 
which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

''Thou shalt not kill. 

" Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

"Thou shalt not steal. 

" Thou shalt not bear false witness 
against thy neighbor. 

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors 
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's 
wife, nor his manservant, nor his maid- 
servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any- 
thing that is thy neighbor's." 



War. 123 

And all the people removed and stood 
afar off. And they said to Moses, *' Speak 
thou with us, and we will hear ; but let not 
God speak with us, lest we die/' 

Moses encouraged them not to fear, 
yet they continued to draw back till they 
stood very far off. But Moses drew near 
to the thick darkness where God was, and 
there, hidden from our eyes, he received 
the words of the Lord. 

The most wonderful of all days is draw- 
ing to a close. Moses has returned, and 
the people have gone to their tents. A 
deep solemnity rests upon the people. 
Moses is writing down all that the Lord 
has told him, that the words may be de- 
clared to all Israel. 

The thunderings and the lightnings 
have ceased. Darkness has settled down 
upon us. The pillar of fire gives its usual 
light, and we commit ourselves to our 
wonderful God for sleep. 

Moses arose early this morning and is 
making an altar of earth, and setting up 
twelve pillars of stone, which represent 
the twelve tribes of Israel. We are to 



124 Story of Moses, 

make a covenant to-day with our God, 
which is to be sealed with blood. Sacri- 
fices are to be offered on the altar. The 
people are gathering from all sides and 
approaching with solemnity. The inno- 
cent oxen are brought up and stand 
meekly before the altar, all unconscious 
that their blood is to be used in the cove- 
nant between sinful men and a holy God. 
There is no remission of sin without the 
shedding of blood.. Moses then read the 
book of the covenant which he wrote last 
night, and the people replied : 

'' All that the Lord hath said will we do, 
and be obedient." 

The oxen are killed and their blood 
caught in basins. '' Half of the blood he 
sprinkled on the altar." And now Moses 
takes a bunch of hyssop, and dipping it 
in the blood, '' Sprinkled it on the people, 
and said. Behold the blood of the coven- 
ant, which the Lord hath made with you 
concerning all these words." 

We are now set apart as God's chosen 
people. May we keep our covenant, and 
live more obedientlv ! 



War. 125 

Aaron and his sons have had prominent 
positions to-day, and now Aaron, Nadab 
and Abihu, with seventy of the elders, are 
called of God to go up with Moses into the 
mountain. Aaron's sons are young men, 
but they follow their father and Moses 
into the thick darkness, and are now out of 
sight. The people are not as awe struck 
by these apearances as they were at first, 
and many of them go about their duties 
much as they used to before they came to 
this mountain. 

The elders have come down from the 
mountain and astonish us by the things 
they have seen. When about half way 
up they came into the presence of God, 
where they saw him. There was under his 
feet, as it were a paved work of sapphire 
stone, like the very heaven for clearness, 
beyond all description glorious ; and they 
ate, and drank in this presence, unharmed. 
Moses and his minister Joshua were called 
to go up higher, that they might receive 
the commandments and the law written on 
stone. 

The elders are busily engaged looking 



126 Story of Moses, 

after the people, who are getting uneasy 
about Moses and Joshua. Several days 
have passed and yet they do not return. 
Some are asking, ''This Moses . , 
what has become of him ?'' Is he con- 
sumed by the fire which envelopes the 
mountain? Will he ever return? and 
who will lead this host if he never come ? 

Our older people are impressed with the 
awful scenes they have witnessed and will 
never forget them ; but the younger class, 
who can rely upon them ? 

The Sabbath has come and gone, and 
other days go by, and yet we hear nothing 
from Moses and Joshua. 

When the elders are questioned, they 
say w^e are ordered to remain here till 
Moses and Joshua come ; and here we are 
without a leader, and a long journey before 
us. Would that we were in Canaan to- 
day ! 

Two weeks have gone by, and the 
people say they cannot endure this sus- 
pense ; something must be done. The 
mixed multitude are also troublesome, and 
are asking that we go forward. Some 



War. 127 

have even suggested that an image of the 
ox Apis, which they worshipped in Egypt, 
should be made to lead the people. They 
cry, *' Make us gods, which shall go before 
us ; for as for this Moses, the man that 
brought us up out of the land of Egypt, 
we know not what is become of him/' 

Aaron is greatly perplexed. He is to 
be a priest to the people, and his sons are 
to succeed him to the holy office, and 
shall he step aside and encourage idola- 
try ? We all heard God say, '' Thou 
shalt not make unto thee any graven 
image,'' and now they are urging Aaron 
to do it. Oh, that Moses and Joshua 
would come ! 

The altar of earth, with the spots of 
blood upon it, still stands where the 
people took their solemn vows to obey 
God. They see it every day, but they 
esteem it lightly. 

To-day, many of our prominent men 
are reasoning with Aaron on the absurdity 
of lying here, waiting for Moses and 
Joshua. They say they went into the moun- 
tain a month ago, and of course they are 



128 Story of Moses. 

dead. They will never return. Now 
make us gods to go before us, and we will 
be up and moving on to the land promised. 
Aaron is much troubled. He wants to 
obey ; but the people are pressing him 
almost beyond endurance. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE GOLDEN CALF. 

Moses has now been gone nearly forty 
days. The last that we saw of him he 
went up Mount Sinai. We all fear that 
we shall see him no more. He may be 
dead; and if so, how long are we to stay 
here waiting ? 

The people are more and more clamor- 
ous for a god to lead them out of this place. 
Aaron does not like to yield, but the pres- 
sure upon him is very great. Finally, as 
the people pressed him, he said, If you 
will have a god, bring me the earrings 
that are in the ears of your wives, of your 
sons, and your daughters. He thought 
that they would not like to part with those 
gifts of the Egyptians ; but they gladly 
brought them. Aaron, with some skilful 
workmen, are now engaged upon the calf, 

9 (129) 



1 30 Story of Moses. 

and the people are eagerly waiting till it is 
done. They talk of little else, and seem 
to put more confidence in it than in God, 
who has so wonderfully cared for us. 

The golden calf was to-day brought 
from the work-shop where Aaron had 
finished it up with a graving tool, and set 
up where the multitude could see it. 
They crowded around and with loud voices 
said, ''These be thy gods, O Israel, which 
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'' 

Aaron is building an altar before it, and 
has issued a proclamation that a feast 
will be held to-morrow in honor of this 
god. There is great rejoicing in the 
camp ; but the Levites strongly protest 
against this work and hold themselves 
aloof. 

Daylight has gone and darkness has 
come. There is brightness upon the top 
of the mountain. God sees us, and may 
come out in judgment upon us for this 
sin. 

Aaron has some thought that Moses may 
come, but he is committed to this act and 
pushed forward by the people. The day 



The Golden Calf, 131 

of the feast is here and the sacrifices are 
brought and offered, and all the old Egyp- 
tian modes of worship are entered into 
with alacrity. The feasting and drinking 
and shouting are all going on and the ex^ 
citement is increasing. The mixed multi 
tude have joined in, and are dancing, 
throwing their arms and putting them- 
selves in distorted attitudes, while many 
in their frenzy have stripped themselves, 
and are dancing before their god, with 
yells that pierce the sky. Aaron cannot 
restrain them, and the tumult rises higher 
and higher. 

At this moment Moses and Joshua were 
seen coming rapidly down 
the mountain in full view 
of this shameful scene. 
Moses had in his hands 
the two tables of stone 
upon which God had 
written the command- 
ments ; but he was so excited with what he 
saw that he dashed them to the ground 
and they were broken in pieces. The 
people fell back in confusion and shame, 




132 Story of Moses. 

and Moses came up and hurled the idol 
into the fire upon the altar, where it 
smoked and blackened. Then in a stern 
voice he said to Aaron, What did this 
people do to you, that you have brought 
so great a sin upon them ? 

Aaron in confiision stammered out. Let 
not the anger of my lord wax hot : thou 
knowest the people, that they are set on 
mischief. They did not know what had 
become of you, and asked for a god to 
lead them. They broke off their gold ear- 
rings and I cast them into the fire and 
there came out this calf. 

Moses ground the calf to powder and 
cast it into the brook and 
compelled the people to 
drink it. Moses feels that 
it is time to make a divi- 
sion of the people, and 
going back to the gate of 
the camp, he said with a 
loud voice, '' Whoso is on the Lord's side, 
let him come unto me.'' Forty or fifty 
thousand of the Levites went over and 
stood by Moses. Then Moses stretched 




The Golden Calf, 133 

out his hand and said, '' Thus saith the 
Lord God of Israel, Put every man his 
sword by his side, and go in and out from 
gate to gate throughout the camp, and 
slay every man his brother, and every man 
his companion, and every man his neigh- 
bor." 

It was quick vengence the Lord brought 
upon his people, for though they fled to 
their tents, they were pursued and slain, 
and the swords were not sheathed till 
three thousand of Israel lay dead upon the 
ground. Aaron prays for mercy and is 
spared. What a wail of sorrow rises from 
our camp ! 

God will not bear with our sins as he 
did before the giving of the law. Moses 
is greatly moved, and has returned to the 
mount to plead with God for us. He says, 
'* This people have sinned a great sin, . . . 
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — ; and 
if not, blot me I pray thee out of thy book 
which thou hast written." How much 
Moses loves this people, though they have 
made him so much trouble ! God assures 
him that those who sin shall be blotted out. 



134 Story of Moses, 

There is great mourning in the camp to- 
day. Here we dig three thousand gi-aves 
and bury the bodies of those who have 
travelled with us to this place : and here 
they will lie while we go on towards 
Canaan. 

Moses has returned, but brings no com- 
fort. God threatens to leave us. 

Moses has pitched his tent without the 
camp, and all our people are in their tent 
doors watching. Our sin is great ; we 
mourn and have taken off all our orna- 
ments and humble ourselves. 

The cloudy pillar stands before Moses' 
tent, and all the people bow and worship. 
God has heard our prayer, and has com- 
manded Moses to hew out two more 
tables of stone, and come alone to the top 
of the mountain that he may again write 
the commandments and the law. The 
glory of the Lord rests upon the moun- 
tain, and Moses has gone up. 

Our dead are buried ; and, wearied by 
anxiety and sorrow, we retire to our tents 
for rest. God supplies us still with 
manna, and gives us care though we are 



The Golden Calf. 135 

guilty. While we wait here for Moses, 
we busy ourselves and are quiet. Some 
are spinning goats' hair, or fine linen, 
which is woven into cloth. Others dye 
the yarn blue, or purple, or scarlet, while 
the rams' skins are dyed red. [Perhaps 
like the red morocco of our times.] 

The men are also producing many 
beautiful articles with gold, and precious 
stones. Their skill was learned in Egypt. 
Aaron is very humble, and is waiting 
patiently for Moses' return. Forty days 
he has been in the mount again. 

The joyful news was brought to the 
camp this morning that Moses was seen, 
far up among the projecting rocks, coming 
down the mountain. The people hurried 
out of their tents and eagerly watched as 
he came nearer and nearer. The tables of 
stone were in his hands, and he approached 
us in his usual manner ; but we all drew 
back, for his face shone with such a pecu- 
liar brightness that we could not look upon 
him, and we were afraid. Moses called 
us, but did not know of the brightness 
that rested upon him till, he was told ; 



136 Story of Moses, 

then Aaron came forward and put a veil 
over his brother, so that we might come 
near him. He showed us the tables of 
stone written upon by the finger of God ; 
all the commandments and the laws are 
there. Moses says that w^hen far up 
among the rocks on the mountain side, 
suddenly a cloud covered him, and the 
Lord descended, and stood with him and 
proclaimed, with a voice, *'The Lord, 
The Lord God, merciful and gracious." 
And as God passed by, Moses made haste 
and bowed to the earth, and worshipped, 
and prayed for us. (Ex. 34 : 6-9.) 

God is still merciful, and will go with us, 
and drive out from our land the idolatrous 
nations. We are not to worship their gods, 
nor marry into their families, nor make 
covenants with them. God's patience is 
exhausted with them: their cup of iniquity 
is full, and they are to be destroyed, with 
their altars and their images. 

Forty days Moses was in the presence 
of God and neither ate or drank. Won- 
derful ! 

God commands that we build a taber- 



The Golden Calf. 137 

nacle to him. He has been worshipped 
in groves, but no house has ever been 
made for him. Now he will dwell with us. 
We will worship him. He asks an offer- 
ing of every man that giveth it willingly 
with his heart. Gold, and silver, and brass, 
and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine 
linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed 
red, and sealskins, and acacia wood, 
oil for the lights, spices for anointing oil 
and for sweet incense ; onyx stones, and 
stones to be set in the ephod and breast- 
plate of the priest. And this tabernacle 
is to be made according to the pattern 
which God showed Moses in the mount. 

Much more did Moses say to the people, 
which is written in the book. 

Moses' face continues to shine, and he 
wears the veil when in the camp ; but when 
he goes into the tabernacle to talk with 
God he removes it. 

The tabernacle we now have is a com- 
mon tent ; but the one we are to make 
will be forty-five feet long, fifteen broad, 
and fifteen high. The sides and western 
ends are to be made of boards covered 



138 Story of Moses, 

with gold, and fixed in sockets of silver. 
Rings of gold are to be attached to the 
tops of the boards, through which long 
bars of wood covered with gold will be 
run, to hold them together. The east end 
will be the entrance. There, attached to 
five pillars of shittim wood, will be sus- 
pended a richly embroided curtain. The 
tabernacle is to be divided by a curtain 
into two apartments, the first to be called 
the Holy Place, the second, which is to be 
much smaller, is to be the Most Holy 
Place. Into the inner apartment no one 
will go but our high priest, and he only 
once a year. Aaron is to be appointed to 
this office. The tabernacle is to be placed 
in a court, or lot, about three times as 
long as itself, which is to be surrounded 
with pillars of brass, bound with silver, 
twenty on either side and ten on the ends. 
Fine white linen curtains are to enclose 
this court, except on the east end. The 
entrance will be a curtain of blue and 
purple and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 
Very much gold will be required to com- 
plete this building, more than a million 



The Golden Calf. 139 

dollars worth, and all are invited to bring 
what they freely offer ; there is to be no 
compulsion in making this house for our 
God. The tabernacle and all its appoint- 
ments are typical of the great plan of 
redemption through the sacrificial blood, 
which is to be shed for us. 

To-day gifts are coming in. Great 
quantities of beautiful earrings, bracelets, 
tablets, and rings, All jewels of pure 
gold are brought by the women, while men 
are constantly here with an abundance of 
everything required. The work has been 
given by Moses to two of our most skil- 
ful workmen, Bezaleel and Aholiab, whom 
God has qualified, and as they say they 
shall need nothing more than what is con- 
tributed, Moses has sent word throughout 
the camp that the gifts may be stopped. 

Aaron and his sons are to be priests, to 
go out and in before the Lord and offer 
for us our sacrifices. They will be marked 
by their costly dress. Upon Aaron will 
be a breastplate set with twelve kinds of 
precious stones, and his robe will be of 
fine twined linen, all of blue with golden 



1 40 Stoiy of Moses. 

pomegranates, and gold bells upon the hem. 
There are also to be coats and breeches, 
and bonnets and mitres, and many other 
things which Moses has written down in 
his book (Ex. 39). 

All our people are interested in the 
building of this tabernacle, and all work- 
men who have skill are employed. In one 
part of our camp, men are at work in a 
brass foundry making rods, and rings and 
other articles which they polish very 
bright. Others are at work upon boards, 
cutting, polishing, and covering with gold. 
And in another quarter the goldsmiths are 
making the golden candlestick with its six 
branches and seven golden lamps. Even 
the tongs and the snuff-dishes are of pure 
gold. They are also making two cheru- 
bim with extended wings, to stand above 
the mercy seat. Very beautifully and 
wonderfully the tabernacle wall be finished. 

Day after day passes, and week after 
week, and still the sounds of the hammer, 
the plane and the loom are heard on every 
hand. 

All have their appropriate duties. Some 



The Golden Calf. 



141 



of the women gather the manna and pre- 
pare the food for the rest ; others are doing 
needle work, embroidering cherubim upon 
the long linen curtains, with purple and 
blue and scarlet. Others still are making 
the clothes of the priests ; for Nadab and 
Abihu, Ithamar, and Eleazar are to have 
garments similar to their father's, in which 
to minister before the Lord. 




The Ark of the Covenaut 



It is interesting to go with Moses to see 
how the work is done, but the camp is 
large, and we see but a small part of it in 
a day. 

Several months have gone by since the 



142 Story of Moses. 

tabernacle was commenced, and now the 
people are beginning to bring in the fur- 
nished work. Bezaleel and Aholiab have 
brought the ark of the covenant, and Moses 
is examining it. It is of wood, nearly four 
feet long by two feet fhr^e inches in width 
and height, and covered within and with- 
out with gold. A rim of gold runs around 
the top, and there is a ring of gold at each 
corner, through which golden rods are 
run, that it may be carried without being 
touched. These rods are never to be 
taken out. The lid of this ark is of gold, 
like the rest, and is called the mqrcy-seat ; 
upon its opposite ends sit those two 
golden cherubim with their outspread 
wings. In this ark is to be kept the tables 
of the law written by the finger of God. 
And from the mercy-seat God is to answer 
our petitions and accept our sacrifices. 
When we travel towards the land of 
promise this ark is to be carried by the 
priests under a purple canopy, with great 
reverence. 

A table of shew-bread, about three feet 
long, covered with pure gold, is brought 



The Golden Calf. 143 

in. Its spoons, covers, and bowls are all 
of gold, and when it is set up in the taber- 
nacle, twelve loaves of unleavened bread 
are to be kept standing upon it, and 
offered with 'salt every Sabbath day, to 
represent the twelve tribes of Israel. 




The Golden Candlestick. 



Two men have brought in the golden 
candlestick. Nothing can be more beauti- 
ful. The mainshaft is about five feet high, 
and its six branches are richly embossed 
with flowers and little bowls, like the half 
of almond shells. It holds seven golden 



1 44 Story of Moses. 

lamps, and is to throw light upon the altar 
of incense. This altar is a table a foot 
and a half square and three feet high, 
covered with plates of gold. At the four 
corners are four horns, and" on the sides 
are rings through which staves are inserted 
for the purpose of carrying it. On this 
altar incense is to be burned every morn- 
ing and evening by the priests, represent- 
ing our prayers. 

It is now seven months since the taber- 
nacle was commenced, and now the last 
piece of work is brought in. Moses has 
examined it all, and finds it agrees with 
the patterns showed him on the mount. 
He has spoken many kind and encourag- 
ing words to the people, and dismissed 
them with his blessing. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE SPLENDID NEW TABERNACLE. 

To-day is the beginning of a new year. 
One year ago this day the angel of death 
passed over our houses and entered the 
houses of the Egyptians, and we were 
thrust out of their land. This is the be- 
ginning of the feast of the Passover, and 
we are to celebrate it in our new taber- 
nacle. 

Bezaleel and Aholiab are bringing all 
the different parts together within the 
court, and the tabernacle is rising in its 
beauty. Crowds of people have gathered 
and secured places where they can look 
down upon the court, that they may have 
a view of the golden furniture. The ark 
with its cherubim dazzles in the sunlight 
for a moment, and we bow our heads, for 
it is holy. The altar of incense, the table 
10 (145) 



146 



Story of Moses. 



of shew-bread, and the candlestick are 
carried into the Holy Place, and Moses 
has lighted the seven lamps. 

The great brazen altar, and the laver 
to hold water for the priest's use, are 
carried into the court and set down in 
their places. Moses has taken the pre- 
cious oil and anointed the tabernacle and 




Table of Shew Bread. 



Its furniture, and the laver and the brazen 
altar, and pronounces them all holy. And 
now Aaron and his sons are called, that 
they may be consecrated. 

Aaron, with bowed head, and solemn 
countenance, leads the way, followed by 
his four sons. They walk into the court 



The Splendid New Tabernacle, 147 

and up to the tabernacle door, where 
Moses receives them, and washes them 
with water. He then dresses Aaron in his 
priestly robes, the linen coat, the robe 
with its pom-egranates, and its gold bells ; 
the breastplate and the holy crown, upon 
which is engraven. Holiness to the Lord. 




High Priest aud Priest. 



He has also fastened around him the 
curious girdle. And now Moses takes 
the anointing oil and pours it upon Aaron's 
head, and it runs down his beard, even to 
the skirts of his garment. 

He is now the high priest, the Lord's 



1 48 Story of Moses. 

anointed, a mediator between a holy God 
and sinful man, a type of one who is to 
come. 

The four young men, Nadab, Abihu, 
Ithamar, and Eleazar, now come forward, 
and Moses puts upon them the garments 
prepared, and their girdles, and anoints 
them with oil, and they are installed into 
the priest's office. 

The pillar of cloud has filled the taber- 
nacle wnth the glory of the Lord. God 
has taken up his abode in the house we 
have builded for him : he is our King and 
him will we follow. 

Ithamar is to have charge of the pro- 
perty of the tabernacle (Ex. 38 : 21). 
Nadab and Abihu are to remain in the 
tabernacle till the eighth day and offer 
sacrifices as God directs. The princes of 
the tribes have joined in presenting six 
covered wagons, and twelve oxen. These 
are to be used in carrying the furniture of 
the tabernacle when we go forward. 

Twelve days are set apart, that each of 
the tribes may have a day for sacrifice 
upon the altar. 



The Splendid New Tabernacle. 149 

Judah is the first, and the prince of his 
tribe is here. He brings a large silver 
charger and a silver bowl, both full of flour 
and oil, for a meat offering, and a gold 
spoon filled with incense. For a burnt 
offering he has a young bullock, one ram, 
and a lamb. These are killed, their skins 
taken off, and, one after another, they are 
laid upon the altar; fire comes down 
from the Lord and consumes them. The 
tribe is thus dedicated to God. A kid is 
then laid upon the altar as a sin offering. 
Then two oxen, five rams, five he goats, 
and five lambs are offered by the priests 
as peace or thank offerings. Judah's day 
is thus passed. The other tribes will each 
have similar offerings on their appointed 
days, the priests attending to all. 

Our people look on with wonder at this 
costly way of worship, and begin to 
realize that it is no light thing to sin 
against God. It must be atoned for with 
the blood of the innocent 

The priests have a certain portion of 
the sacrifices, as do also those who offer 
them. Nadab and Abihu had been feast- 



150 Story of Moses. 

ing upon the meat offerings and the drink 
offerings, using wine freely, and became 
reckless, and instead of taking the fire 
from God's altar, as they were com- 
manded, they took other fire and offered 
incense to the Lord unbidden. They 
were immediately struck down with fire 
from the Lord ; and there, before Moses 
and their father, and friends, they fell dead 
upon the ground. 

Aaron was greatly shocked, as were all 
others present ; but Moses commanded 
that no sign of mourning should be 
shown, for fear of God's just judgment. 
Aaron held his peace. 

Mishael and Elzaphan, cousins of the 
dead men, were called in to carry them 
forth, without the camp. There lay those 
blackened corpses dressed in their new 
priestly robes ; a sad sight ; and all the 
people bewailed and mourned. God will 
be a consuming fire to those who mock 
him. He has commanded that Aaron and 
his two sons shall drink no wine when 
they go into the tabernacle, lest they also 
die, and this is to be a law forever to the 



The Splendid New Tabernacle, 151 

priesthood. The tribe of Levi has been 
consecrated for the service of the taber- 
nacle ; other hands must not touch the 
holy things. 

Great excitement has prevailed to-day. 
A young man, whose mother is an Israel- 
ite and his father an Egyptian, of the 
mixed multitude, was brought in by two 
men to Moses. He had been fighting, and 
had blasphemed the name of the Lord 
Jehovah, and cursed. Moses inquired of 
the Lord what to do with him ? God says, 
Bring him forth without the camp, and let 
all who heard him, lay their hands upon 
his head, and let all the cong-reo^ation stone 
-him. He that blasphemeth the name of 
his God shall surely be put to death. It 
is sad to see one so young die in this way ; 
but he heard the commandment, ''Thou 
shalt not take the name of the Lord thy 
God in vain : for the Lord will not hold 
him guiltless thattaketh his name in vain," 
and he should have heeded it. 

Spring with its beauties is again with us, 
and we are soon to journey on towards 
Canaan. Moses is to number all the men 



152 Story of Moses. 

who are over twenty years old that we 
may know who are able to go to war. We 
shall find enemies on our journey, and we 
are to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan, 
and must have an army ready. 

For many days our rulers have been 
doing this work, and we find that in all 
we have 603,550 men able to fight. Judah 




Hebrew Trumpets. 

is our largest tribe, having over 74,000; 
while Manasseh is the smallest, having 
32,200. The tribe of Levi is not included, 
for priests are exempt from war. 

Each tribe has its own officers ; but 
Joshua is appointed commander-in-chief of 
the whole force. 

Moses by God's command has made 
two silver trumpets, which are to be 



The Splendid New Taberfiacle, 153 

sounded by Ithamar and Eleazar when he 
wishes the people to go forward. They 
are also to be blown when we are to be 
gathered together in our feast days and in 
war 

What a wonderful year this has been to 
us. This people, so ignorant when we 
left Egypt, have been taught by God till 
we are w^onderfully changed and elevated. 
We are unlike all other people, for our 
God is the Lord Jehovah, and we have his 
written w^ord. 

This morning we saw the cloud rising, 
and immediately we took down our tents 
and prepared to go forward. Moses and 
the Levites are taking down the taber- 
nacle, which has been up one month, fold- 
ing the curtains, and loading the wagons. 

As the ark is moved, Moses says with 
a loud voice, '' Rise up. Lord, and let 
thine enemies be scattered ; and let them 
that hate thee flee before thee.'' 

The tribes are taking their places. The 
tabernacle, with its holy furniture, drawn 
by the oxen, and attended by the tribe of 
Levi, stands in the centre ; we move away 



154 Story of Moses. 

from Mount Sinai where we have spent 
ten eventful months, Farewell to the 
graves in this solitude ; to Nadab and 
Abihu, who were so helpful to us in our 
former journey. We mourn their rash- 
ness and their early death. 

The way is rough and leads to the 
northeast, towards Zipporah's early home. 
To-day her brother Hobab came out to 
meet us, and to bid us God-speed. 

Moses said to him, '' Come thou with us, 
and we will do thee good ; for the Lord 
hath spoken good concerning Israel." 

Hobab replied that he would stay in his 
own land with his own people. Moses 
urged that he would be of great service 
to us, as he was so well acquainted with 
the route we are to travel, he would 
almost be as eyes for us. But Hobab 
said no ; he preferred his own wilderness 
home with his father and kindred. So we 
go on without him. 

It is hard for Zipporahand her two sons 
to pass by the only home they have ever 
known, but they are full of hope for the 
future. We sometimes get glimpses of 



The Splendid New Tabernacle, 155 

the gulf of Akabah, as we wind around 
these black, barren hills, but not often. 

The manna and the water follow us ; 
the cloud and fiery pillar lead us on. God 
cares for us in all ways, yet the mixed 
multitude are inciting the people to com- 
plain. They say their souls are fairly 
dried away with only eating this food, and 
they loathe it. 

Moses has ordered a halt, that we may 
rest arid recruit. He is considerate of 
the people's comfort, and makes frequent 
stops. To-day the complaints broke out 
afresh, and many are saying to Moses, 
'' Who shall give us flesh to eat ?'' This 
manna ground into flour and made into 
cakes is good for a while, but we are tired 
of it ! Give us flesh to eat ! 

It is hard for Moses to be called upon 
in this way to supply what he cannot get, 
and when he tells them so, these men of Is- 
rael who should be encouraging the weaker 
ones, weep, and complainingly say, '' We 
remember the fish which w^e did eat in 
Egypt freely ; the cucumbers and the 
melons, and the leeks, and the onions, 



156 Stoiy of Moses. 

and the garlick ; but now our soul is 
dried away ; there is nothing at all beside 
this manna." Would that we had died in 
Egypt! 

In their longing for the flesh-pots of 
Egypt they seem to forget their bondage, 
their overwork, and the destruction of 
their children there. 

Moses is very much troubled, as well he 
may be, when strong men weep in their 
tent doors for food, like children. As 
usual he has gone to God for help, and 
says, '' Whence should I have flesh to give 
unto all this people ? . . . I am not able 
to bear all this people alone, because // is 
too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus 
with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, 
if I have found favor in thy sight ; and let 
me not see my wretchedness." Moses 
does not often get disheartened, but the 
care of this people, and the writing of the 
books of the law, and their rebellions are 
crushing him, and he cries for help. My 
heart s) mpathizes with him. 

God also pities and says to him, ''Gather 
unto me seventy men of the elders of 



The Splendid New Tabernacle. 157 

Israel, whom thou knowest to be the 
elders of the people, and officers over 
them ; and bring them unto the tabernacle 
of the congregation, that they may stand 
there with thee. And I will come down 
and talk with thee there : and I will take of 
the spirit which is upon thee, and will put 
it upon them ; and they shall bear the 
burden of the people with thee, that thou 
bear it not thyself alone/' 

God has ordered that the people be 
sanctified against to-morrow, for he has 
heard their murmurings, and will give 
them flesh which they shall eat a month, 
till it be loathsome to them, because they 
have rejected the Lord. 

Moses is astonished at the largeness of 
the promise, and says, *'The people 
among whom I am, are six hundred thou- 
sand footmen ; and thou hast said, I will 
give them flesh, that they may eat a whole 
month. Shall the flocks and the herds be 
slain for them? ... or shall all the 
fish of the sea be gathered together for 
them, to suffice them?'' 

And God asks, '' Is the Lord's hand 



158 Story of Moses, 

waxed short ? Thou shalt see now 
whether my word shall come to pass/' 

Moses has done what he was com- 
manded, and the seventy elders have 
received the spirit of the Lord, and all are 
prophesying in the tabernacle. Two of 
the men, called Eldad and Medad, 
neglected to be present, but the spirit 
of the Lord sought them out, and they 
began to prophesy in the camp. Joshua 
thought, as they had not obeyed the com- 
mand to come to the tabernacle, they 
ought to be silenced, and he said, '' My 
lord Moses, forbid them." 

'' Enviest thou for my sake ?" asked 
Moses. '' Would God that all the Lord's 
people were prophets, and that the Lord 
would put his spirit upon them.'' 

We are west of the gulf of Akabah, and 
often feel the breezes from its waters. 
To-day a strong wind has been blowing 
from the east, and a dark cloud is coming. 
Some say that it reminds them of the 
cloud of locusts in Egypt, but it is more 
dense. It comes nearer, and we have dis- 
covered birds, and the cry goes up. Quails ! 



The Splendid New Tabernacle, 159 

quails ! Then a wild tumult ensues as the 
birds begin to fall, and flutter upon the 
ground.. The whole multitude of the 
Hebrew nation are killing quails, yet the 
cloud continues to empty itself upon us. 
The ground is covered for miles around 
with these fluttering creatures. The 
people rush upon them, like starving 
animals, and hurrying them to their tents 
they are soon cooked, and then in a shame- 
ful manner the people gorge themselves. 
The supply is too great ; they eat till they 
are satisfied. All through the day and 
night the people have worked, killing the 
quails and throwing them into heaps, or 
spreading them abroad, hoping to preserve 
them for future use. So greedy are they 
that they disregard God's command, and 
take no rest on the holy Sabbath day. 
There is little talked of but quails, and 
the best way to preserve them. Those 
who have gathered the least have not less 
than ten homers (an homer is about 8 
bushels), and they are eating enormously. 
God has shown his power to supply, and 
now he is punishing the people for their 



1 60 Story of Moses, 

rebellion and gluttony. Sickness is 
general in the camp, and numbers are 
dying. From day to day it increases till 
it amounts to a great plague. The living 
loathe this meat now, as much as they did 
the manna, and are wishing they had been 
content with the food the Lord thought 
best to give. So many graves have been 
made in this place that Moses calls it, 
^^Kibroth-hattaavah/' ''the graves of lust/' 
Surely it is the place of graves. 

We have been obliged to remain long 
here, but the plague is past and the cloudy 
pillar is lifting. 

God is carrying us as on eagles' wings 
towards the land of promise, where all 
our wants will be supplied. The water is 
following us, the manna falls, our clothes 
are still good, and though we have 
travelled hundreds of miles over rocks 
and burning sand, our sandals are whole, 
and our feet have not swollen. Who is 
like our God? 



CHAPTER XI. 

Miriam's leprosy. 

While the Hebrews were at Hazeroth 
resting themselves and their herds, Miriam 
became very much vexed with her brother 
Moses and an Ethiopian woman whom he 
had married. Miriam was not far from an 
hundred years old, and probably felt 
neglected, and thought that she and Aaron 
did not receive the honor that was their 
due. She talked her troubles over with 
Aaron, and said unkind things of Moses, 
who was not only enjoying the favor of 
God, but was honored by all the people ; 
and she sneeringly asked, '* Hath the Lord 
indeed spoken only by Moses ? hath he 
not spoken also by us ? '' And turning 
her spite and jealousy upon Moses' wife, 
she called her a Cushite woman. 

All this was unkind and unbecoming a 

11 (161) 



1 62 Story of Moses. 

woman of Miriam's character and position. 
She should not have dared to speak in this 
way of God's chosen prophet Moses ; in 
doing so she brought swift judgment upon 
herself. God heard, and suddenly called 
Moses, Aaron and Miriam to come to the 
tabernacle. And the three went. And 
the Lord came down in the pillar of the 
cloud, and stood in the door of the taber- 
nacle, and called Aaron and Miriam ; and 
they, with bowed heads, came tremblingly 
forth. God said to them of Moses, ''With 
him will I speak mouth to mouth, . . . and 
not in dark speeches ; and the similitude 
of the Lord shall he behold : wherefore 
then were ye not afraid to speak against 
my servant Moses ? '' 

The cloud disappeared. God had 
departed ; and Miriam became white as 
snow. Aaron looked upon her and saw 
she was leprous. In his fright he cried to 
Moses, ''Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay 
not the sin upon us, wherein we have 
done foolishly. . . . Let her not be 
as one dead, of whom the flesh is half 
consumed." 



Miria7ns Leprosy, 163 

Moses' heart was forgiving, and he 
prayed earnestly to have the leprosy 
removed. God heard, and Miriam was 
cured, but she was shut out of the camp 
seven days, and kept in solitude. She was 
greatly humbled, for the whole nation 
were hindered in their journey by her sin. 
She who had led the women in their wor- 
ship with timbrels and dances, and had 
spoken in the name of the Lord, had 
caused Aaron, the high priest, to sin, 
grieved Moses, her meek and loving 
brother, and brought the anger of the 
Lord upon herself. 

When the seven days were ended, 
Miriam came back into camp, and after 
regaining her composure, she takes up the 
narrative and says. 

We go forward to-day. Judah's tents are 
down, and as the trumpet sounds, their 
ensign is raised on high, and the seventy- 
four thousand men move on northward. 
The tribes of Zebulun and Issachar move 
their hundred and ten thousand, following 
thetribeof Judah with shoutsof joy. On our 
left is the tribe of Dan, sixty-two thousand, 



1 64 Story of Moses. 

with the tribes of Asher and Naphtali; 
and on our right are Reuben's, Simeon's 
and Gad's host ; while in our rear are 
Manasseh, Ephraim, and Benjamin. 

In the centre of this great multitude is 
the tabernacle, and ark, guarded by the 
whole tribe of Levi. 

That we may still have twelve tribes 
without counting the Levites, we have 
divided that of Joseph into two, Ephraim, 
and Manasseh. 

We move slowly, for our way is over 
high and desolate mountains, whose black 
and barren sides shut us in. We have 
had a hard day's march ; night is coming 
on, and hungry and weary, we halt here 
in the wilderness. Not a tree is to be 
seen in any direction, and there is little 
for the cattle to eat. They seem to be 
preserved by miracle as well as ourselves. 
Black pebbles cover the ground, which 
have been hard for our feet to-day, but 
we can bear discomforts a little longer, 
and then we shall be in the promised land, 
where are streams of water and pastures. 
Within a week now we hope to be there, 




Muses Simung ihe Rock. 



Miriams Leprosy. 167 

and our journeyings ended. High moun- 
tains are on either side of us. Mount 
Seir Res east, and extends from the Dead 
Sea to the gulf of Akabah. It is a long 
range, but broken in many places. The 
Arabian desert lies east and west of this 
range, but we keep in this valley which is 
the wilderness of Sin. We rise early and 
take the cool of the day for our journey, 
but we make slow progress. 

Mount Hor, a peculiar mountain, rising 
abruptly from the plain, we are now pass- 
ing. All our people are observing it, and 
talking of its height and shape. 

We are coming into a better country, 
and see some grass and bushes. The buzz 
of insects is heard, and now towards 
night the chirp of a bird is delighting us. 
How delightful after the long silence. 

On the east of Mount Seir is the land 
of Edom, where Esau settled after selling 
his birthright to our father Jacob. We 
see nothing of the people, though they 
may be watching our movements. We 
are very near the border of our land, and 
there is much talk among our people as 



1 68 Story of Moses. 

to the possibility of taking possession of 
it. They forget that God is to fight for 
us. 

Beyond the mountain that is in front of 
us lies our new home. How glad we are 
that it is so near. The plain we have 
reached is large, and the silver trumpet of 
the Levites has sounded for a halt. Truly, 
we are here at last, and have only to go 
in and possess the land. The tribes are 
moving to their positions, and though the 
plain is large, many tents will be pitched 
on the hill-side at the west ; and here we 
rest, waiting for orders. Every one is 
solemn and quiet, as if in the expectation 
of some great event. Many stories are 
afloat about the country, and the people 
over the mountain, and some assert that 
we are watched, that armed men are 
hanging on our outskirts, and showing 
themselves in the distance. No doubt the 
Amorites and Canaanites are greatly dis- 
turbed by our pfesence ; for they know 
that God fights for us. 

This morning Moses called the rulers 
together, and with outstretched hand, said. 



Miriam s Leprosy. v 1 69 

'' Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the 
land before thee : go up and possess it, 
. . . fear not, neither be discouraged/' 
There is a holding back among these 
rulers ; they hesitate, and the Lord has 
directed Moses to send men up to spy 
out the land, that we may know what we 
have to contend with. The people also 
make this request. A ruler from each tribe 
is chosen. Caleb and Joshua are among 
the number ; and they will bring back no 
discouraging report. They are always 
reliable, and being about the same age, a 
little over forty, they are good com- 
panions, and full of hope. The twelve 
men have presented themselves and are 
ready to go. Moses says to them, '' Get 
you up this way by the South, and go up 
into the mountains: and see the land, what 
it is ; and the people that dwelleth therein, 
whether they ^^ strong or weak, . . . few 
or many ; and what the land is that they 
dwell in, . . . and what cities they be 
that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in 
strongholds ; and what the land is, 
whether it be fat or lean, whether there be 



1 70 Story of Moses. 

wood therein, or not. And be ye of good 
courage, and bring of the fruit of the 
land." 

These twelve men feel honored in being 
the first to set foot in the promised land, 
and they go forth with bright hopes. They 
will be gone many days, and while we 
wait we are very comfortable, for we have 
both pasturage and water. The manna 
still falls at night, and is gathered in the 
mornino- and ground into flour and made 
into bread for the day. There is a variety 
of employments in this great camp : 
many are spinning and weaving, or making 
up the cloth : others are embroidering the 
fine linen and dying the wools in bright 
colors. The workers in brass and gold 
are not idle, and on every hand we hear 
the sound of their tools. All seem con- 
tented and happy. Moses is not idle, for 
he writes in a book all our wanderings, 
and our rebellions, and the laws God 
reveals to him. 

There is much talk of the spies we 
have sent out, and conjecture in regard to 
the report they will bring ; and whether 



Miriams Leprosy. 171 

we shall be able to conquer the land. It 
is hard for the people to remember that 
God is to give us the victory. 

Forty days ago the spies went out from 
us, and now they have returned. The 
people are wild with expectation, and 
eager to know what they have seen. The 
large cluster of grapes, which they brought 
on a staff, borne by two men, causes great 
surprise. They also brought figs and 
pomegranates. It must be a wonderful 
country to produce such fruit. Moses and 
Aaron have assembled the people near 
the tabernacle to hear the report they 
bring. One of them says, '' We came 
unto the land whither thou sentest us, and 
surely it floweth with milk and honey ; 
. . . nevertheless, the people be strong 
that dwell in the land, and the cities are 
walled, and very great; and, moreover, 
we saw the children of Anak there. The 
Amalekites dwell in the land of the South ; 
and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and 
the Amorites, dwell in the mountains ; and 
the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by 
the coast of Jordan/' 



172 Story of Moses. 

At this point there was murmuring 
among the people, who were frightened at 
the report : but Caleb arose and stilled 
them, and with great earnestness said, 
'' Let us go up at once, and possess it ; for 
we are well able to overcome it/' We be 
not able,'' shouted ten of the spies, '' for 
they are stronger than we. . . . The 
land, through which we have gone to 
search it, is a land that eateth up the in- 
habitants thereof; and all the people we 
saw in it, are men of a great stature. And 
there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, 
. . . and we were in our own sight as 
grasshoppers, and so we were in • their 
sight.'' 

Caleb and Joshua both urge the people 
to go up at once, as God directs, and take 
the land and end their wanderings. 

But the people are like frightened 
children, and are weeping and complaining 
of Moses and Aaron, and wishing they 
had died in the wilderness. They cry, 
''Wherefore hath the LoRDbroughtusunto 
this land to fall by the sword ; that our 
wives and our children should be a prey?" 



Miriam's Leprosy. 173 

And in their frenzy they are saying to 
one another, '' Let us make a captain, and 
let us return into Egypt!" 

There is great confusion and rebelHon, 
and Moses and Aaron are prostrate on 
their faces before the Lord. 

Caleb and Joshua have rent their 
clothes in abhorrence, and are trying to 
quiet the people down. They are saying, 
'' The land, which we passed through to 
search it, is an exceeding good land. If 
the Lord delight in us, then he will bring 
us into this land, and give it to us ; . . . 
Only rebel not ye against the Lord, 
neither fear ye the people of the land; for 
they are bread for us : their defence is 
departed from them, and the Lord is with 
us : fear them not." 

The people are enraged at these words, 
and are crying. Stone them with stones ! 
Before they cast the first stone the cloud 
appeared at the tabernacle. Every hand 
and every stone dropped, and all looked 
towards the cloudy pillar. Moses is shut 
from sight. This rebellious people stand 
awed, not knowing what is to be their fate. 



174 Story of Moses, 

They tremble and are afraid. When 
Moses appeared, he said, ''As truly as I 
Hve, saith the Lord, . . . your car- 
cases shall fall in this wilderness ; and all 
that were numbered of you, . . . from 
twenty years old and upward . . . shall 
not come into the land, . . . save Caleb 
and Joshua. . . . But your 
little ones, which you said should be a prey, 
them will I bring in, and they shall know 
the land which you have despised." As 
many days as the spies have been away, 
so many years shall we wander in the wil- 
derness, a year for a day, forty years in all. 

Scarcely had Moses done speaking, 
before a plague broke out, and all the 
spies, except Caleb and Joshua, are lying 
dead upon the ground. Moses cries to 
the Lord to spare. There is a great 
panic, and now the people are determined 
to go up to take the land. They are 
weeping, and mourning, and saying, We 
have sinned against the Lord. We will 
go up and fight, according to all that the 
Lord commands us. 

It is of no use to try to restrain them, 



Miriams Leprosy, 175 

for they are more determined now to go, 
than they were before not to go. Moses 
tells them that their opportunity is past, 
for the Lord will not go with them. They 
have gone to their tents weeping ; even 
the chosen rulers have joined in the rebel- 
lion. Moses has retired to his rest, and 
we all hope that by morning peace will be 
restored to the people. The day has been 
very exciting. 

Morning has come, and with it more 
rebellion, a large number of men are 
gathering upon the plain armed, going, 
they say, into Caanan to take it. 

Moses assures them that it will be their 
destruction, for the Lord will not go with 
them, that they are transgressing the 
commandment of the Lord, and he asks 
them to disband, and go to their tents. 
He tells them that the Amalekites and 
Canaanites have been alarmed by our 
movements, and are lying in ambush on 
the mountain waiting and watching. But 
the people will not take advice, and are 
marching off up the mountain. The 
Amalekites remember their defeat at 



176 Sto7y of Moses. 

Rephidim, and will revenge it. Before 
the top of the mountain is reached, the 
men are returning in great confusion. 
Rocks are rolled upon them, which bound 
from cliff to cliff, cutting their ranks, 
crushing and killing. Others are falling 
by the sword and by darts. They leave 
their dead, and are chased even to our 
borders, and come back in great confu- 
sion. 

We have been kept up in our wander- 
ings by the hope of entering Canaan, but 
alas, alas, we are to be turned back into 
the wilderness ! oh, that we had obeyed 
the Lord ! In this state of unrest and 
distrust Moses has great trials. A 
jealousy exists against him, and one and 
another are intimating that he and Aaron 
are setting themselves too high above the 
people. 

To-day this spirit showed itself where 
least expected. Korah, Moses' own 
cousin, their fathers being brothers, and 
he a Levite, and Dathan and Abiram, and 
one or two others who are not of the tribe 
of Levi, and not entitled to any priestly 



Miriams Leprosy. 177 

order, came with two hundred and fifty 
princes, men of fame and renown in the 
congregation, and boldly told Moses and 
Aaron that they were taking too much 
upon themselves ; and insolently said, 
*' Wherefore lift ye up yourselves above 
the congregation of the Lord ?" '^Allthe 
congregation are holy, every one of them, 
and the Lord is among them." 

Moses saw that they were planning 
their own ruin, and fell on his face 
before the Lord in prayer. Some of these 
men are Levites, and employed in the 
service of the Lord, to minister to the 
people. But they want the priest's office. 
Moses told them that if they felt entitled 
to the priest's office they could come in 
the morning and offer incense to the Lord. 
He then called Korah to him, and in plain 
words warned him against the step he 
was about to take, and told him he was 
rebelling against the Lord in seeking the 
office of priest. Korah would not regard 
his words. Moses, not wishing Dathan 
and Abiram to go blindly on to ruin, sent 
for them, to give them further words of 
12 



178 Story of Moses. 

warning, but in the hearing of the people 
they said, '' We will not come up : 
Is it a small thing that thou hast brought 
us up out of a land that floweth with milk 
and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, ex- 
cept thou make thyself altogether a prince 
over us ? Moreover, thou hast not 
brought us into a land flowing with milk 
and honey, or given us . . . fields 
and vineyards ; . . . we will not 
come up/' 

Moses was very angry at these words, 
and prayed that the Lord would not respect 
their offering. It was not Moses' fault 
that they did not go up and take the land 
when commanded to do so, or that they 
were turned back into the wilderness. 

For some time past these men have had 
two hundred and fifty brazen censers on 
hand, made secretly, thus planning long 
beforehand this rebellion. They have 
also labored among the people to convince 
them that Moses is an imposter, seeking 
his own glory, and multitudes of them are 
ready for a rebellion. This is the day for 
them to offer their incense, and as we 



Miriams Leprosy. 179 

look abroad we see them coming, followed 
by a host of the people. Korah is at the 
head with Dathan and Abiram, and the 
would be priests, with their sfiining cen- 
sers raised on high. They look quite 
formidable, as they march up and boldly 
enter the court of the tabernacle. The 
multitude stand without, while the censers 
are filled, and the fire applied, and then 
these censers are carried to the entrance 
that all may see their offering to the Lord. 

At this moment God said to Moses and 
Aaron, *' Separate yourselves from among 
this congregation, that I may consume 
them in a moment." 

Moses prostrated himself and prayed 
that the Lord would not 
destroy all, beause of the 
sins of a few. 

Then Moses goes out 
to the multitude and cries 
out to them to go from 
these wicked men lest 
they be destroyed. If " the earth open 
her mouth and swallow them up . . . 
then ye shall understand that these men have 




1 8o Story of Moses. 

provoked the Lord." The people crowded 
back, and immediately the earth opened, 
and all that followed Korah went down 
alive, with a cry that rent the air. Then 
the earth closed over them and they 
perished. The people fledin great terror, 
screaming and horrified. Scarcely was 
this done before a fire from the Lord 
flashed forth and consumed the two hun- 
dred and fifty men that offered incense; 
their burning censers lay upon the ground 
in the fire, where they fell, and Moses sent 
Eleazar, Aaron's son, to gather them up 
and scatter the fire from them. They are 
to be made into broad plates to cover the 
brazen altar with, as a sign to warn the 
people against the sin of Korah and his 
followers. No person who is not of the 
family of Aaron, the priest, shall offer in- 
cense to the Lord. The people are in a 
strange state of mind, but we hope a 
night's rest will quiet them. 

The morning brings more trouble. 
Large numbers are gathering around the 
tabernacle in great excitement, wishing to 
do violence to Moses and Aaron. They 



Miriams Leprosy, i8i 

blame them, and are saying, You killed 
the people of the Lord yesterday. They 
are so angry that they may even attempt 
to stone our leaders. Moses and Aaron 
are sorely tried with this rebellion. 

In the midst of the confusion, the cloud 
suddenly rested upon the tabernacle. And 
God said to Moses and Aaron, '' Get you 
up from among this congregation, that I 
may consume them as in a moment." 

While Moses besought the Lord to 
speak, the plague had already begun ; and 
Moses hurried Aaron to go forth with a 
burning censer, and make an atonement for 
the people. Then Aaron put fire from the 
altar into his censer and poured incense 
on it, and ran and stood between the liv- 
ing and the dead, and made intercession 
for the people, and the plague was 
stopped ; but not till fourteen thousand 
and seven hundred lay dead upon the 
ground. There is great mourning. 

It is time the people recognized that 
Moses and Aaron are appointed of God. 
But another test is to be given. 

God commands that each of the twelve 



1 82 Story of Moses. 

tribes bring an almond rod, with the 
name of the tribe written upon it. Aaron 
stands for the tribe of Levi, and his name 
is upon a rod, and all are laid up by the 
altar as God commands. The rod that 
blossoms will indicate the person whom 
God has chosen. 

The people are becoming sobered, as 
well they may be, after such heavy judg- 
ments, and they have gone to their tents, 
and their beds for rest. It is a terrible 
calamity to be turned back into the wilder- 
ness, there to wander while we live ; and 
the people rebel at the thought, and are 
fighting against it. But they should have 
gone up and taken possession of the 
promised land, as God commanded. 

The morning has come, and the repre- 
sentatives of the twelve tribes have gone 
to the tabernacle to examine the rods. To 
the astonishment of all, when Aaron's rod 
was taken out it had not only blossomed, 
but had borne almonds. The others had 
not changed. This is convincing, and now 
they are willing to yield to his authority. 
Moses put the rod back into the ark to be 



Miriani s Leprosy, 183 

kept as a token against the rebels. We 
might to-day have been in Canaan, had it 
not been for our unbehef. A few of our 
number trust God wholly, but they go 
with the rest to wander in the wilderness 
till the forty years are passed. We need 
the discipline and desire to take it meekly. 
The tents this morning are taken down 
and packed for carrying. All is bustle 
and activity, but the people are sad and 
silent. Canaan is but just over the moun- 
tain, where is plenty for man and beast; 
we turn our longing eyes towards it, but 
the cloud moves the other way, and one 
after another the tribes follow. Their 
heads are bowed, their hearts are bleed- 
ing, and as their ranks disappear beyond 
the hills a great and sad wail goes up, 
'' Behold, we die ! we perish ! we all 
perish!" (Num. 17 : 12,) Farewell to 
Kadesh-barnea. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE RETURN. 

The great Hebrew nation, which came 
out of Egypt a year and a half ago, now 
becomes lost to us. 

Little is said of them in the Bible for 
the next thirty-eight years. Where they 
went, what they suffered, and how often 
they rebelled, we are not told. They, as 
a nation, were not fitted to enter Canaan, 
and hence this additional discipline was 
necessary. All who were twenty years 
old and over, when they were numbered, 
were to die in their wanderings, and be 
buried in the wilderness. Only Caleb and 
Joshua, the ones faithful, were to be 
spared. 

Miriam, over ninety years old, was 
turned back with the rest, and we will 
continue the story for her. 

(184) 



The Return. 185 

Kadesh-barnea was a place of rebellion 
and suffering. Was it regarded as the 
head-quarters of the nation during their 
life in the desert? 

The Amalekites and Canaanites had, no 
doubt, watched all the Israelites, and were 
eager to come down from the mountain 
and see their strength. . . . Not far 
off on the hill side were many graves, 
with nothing to distinguish one from the 
other. 

The nations occupying Canaan and the 
country east of the Jordan, had armies 
like grasshoppers for multitude, and were 
rich in herds and lands : and fearing no 
enemy, they dwelt at ease, worshipping 
idols, as their fathers had done before 
them ; and sinking deeper and deeper in 
debauchery and sin. Their cup of 
iniquity was fast filling to the brim. 

While they were living in this way, God 
was fitting the Hebrew nation to act as a 
sword in his hand to destroy them from 
the face of the earth. 

In the fourteenth century before Christ, 
the first month, answering to our April, 



1 8 6 Stoiy of Moses. 

there gathered from the wilderness of Tih, 
a vast multitude of people, with flocks and 
herds. Division after division, with float- 
ing banners, and with blasts of trumpets, 
gathered, while a strange pillar of cloud 
led the host to Kadesh-barnea. 

In the erect form and firm step of one 
who seems to be a commander, we recog- 
nize MosES the law-giver. His eye is not 
dimmed, nor his natural force abated. By 
his side is Aaron, still active, and wearing 
the priestly robes, though over one hun- 
dred and twenty years old. And there is 
Miriam, changed indeed, and bending 
towards the grave ; and there march 
Joshua and Caleb, at the head of their 
divisions, like mlHtary generals, as they 
are. These five, among the millions that 
surround them, are all that are left of 
those who were over twenty years old at 
Kadesh, thirty-eight years ago. 

The nation is not diminished, though 
graves are thickly strewn on the track 
they have travelled. Instead of the. 
fathers we see the children. They have 
been fed on manna, and have never 



The Retu7^n, 187 

known any other home, but the great and 
terrible wilderness in which they have 
wandered. 

They gather directly at Kadesh-barnea, 
and pitch their tents, and the tabernacle is 
there. Their fathers had told them that 
this was a place for grass and of springs, 
and some of the older ones remember 
where these springs were ; but there are 
none there now: the dry season is upon 
them, and the water is gone. 

The people begin to murmur and say. 
There are no vines, no figs, no pomegran- 
ates and, what is worse, no water to 
drink. Would God we had died when our 
brethren died before the Lord ! and going 
to Moses they say, Why have you brought 
us up into this wilderness that we and our 
cattle should die here ? 

Moses and Aaron both remind them 
that they have not arrived in Canaan yet ; 
but their complaints rise to such a pitch, 
that Moses and Aaron hasten to the taber- 
nacle and prostrate themselves before the 
Lord. God commands that they take the 
rod, and go with the people to a rock not 



1 88 Story of Moses. 

far away and speak to it, and he promises 
that water sufficient for all the people and 
their cattle shall flow out. Moses remem- 
bers travelling a long way, forty years 
before, from Rephidim to Horeb, to get 
water for their fathers, and he is disturbed 
in spirit, and not a little vexed at these 
their rebellious children ; so he goes 
forth hurriedly, followed by the multitude, 
and when he reached the rock he said, 
'' Hear now, ye rebels ; must we fetch you 
water out of this rock ?" and with the rod 
he gave it two sharp blows. Moses was an- 
gry and spoke hastily. (Psalm 106:32-33). 

The water came, and the people were 
satisfied. But Moses, as his anger passed 
away, remembered his sin, and was 
humbled ; and he and Aaron went into 
the tabernacle and prostrated themselves 
before the Lord. 

God spoke and said, ''Because ye be- 
lieved me not, to sanctify me in the eyes 
of the children of Israel, therefore ye 
shall not bring this congregation into the 
land which I have given them.'' 

See these two old men bowed down 



The Return, 189 

side by side, before God, receiving their 
doom; for Aaron had joined in the dis- 
obedience. Both were guilty. And 
though they had been faithful all the long 
years past, this sin could not be over- 
looked. They were public men ; examples 
for the rest : and could not be left 
unpunished. God promised, however, 
that though Moses could not enter the 
promised land, yet he should see its 
beautiful valleys and sloping hill-sides 
from a distance before he died. Moses 
meekly accepted his punishment and felt 
that it was just. 

To add to his and Aaron's sorrow at 
this time, they found that their sister 
Miriam was very ill, evidently about to 
die. As Moses stood and looked upon 
her aged face, his mind went back over 
the years ; and he remembered only her 
kindnesses, — her love for him when he 
was an infant ; her anxious watch by the 
river that morning, when he lay in the 
frail ark among the bulrushes; her 
faithful kindness through all their tiresome 
wanderings in the wilderness ; the good 



1 90 Story of Moses. 

example she had set for the women, lead- 
ing them in their worship, and prophesy- 
ing in the name of the Lord. She was 
his only sister, and his heart was pained to 
know that here they must part, she to be 
buried at Kadesh, and he and Aaron some- 
where on the way, neither of them to 
enter with the people into Canaan. 

One morning the words, Miriam is 
dead, went from tent to tent, and from 
heart to heart, for all had loved and 
respected her as a prophetess, and a 
leader in Israel. They made her ready 
for the grave, and there at Kadesh, by 
those old graves, they buried her. Miriam 
was gone, and Aaron was soon to follow. 

Not long after this event, even while 
the people were mourning for her, the 
Canaanites, who lived over the mountain, 
heard that Moses and his hosts had 
returned to Kadesh-barnea ; remember- 
ing the spies who had travelled through 
the land, and fearing an attack, they 
gathered an army and made a sudden 
descent upon the Israelites. So unex- 
pected was the onset, that some of the Is- 



The Retu7^n. 191 

raelites were carried off prisoners. This 
threw the camp into excitement, and the 
people gathered for war. Before starting 
they entered into a solemn vow, that if 
God would deliver these Canaanites into 
their hands, they would utterly destroy 
them and their cities. 

God heard their vow and delivered the 
Canaanites into their hands, and so 
thoroughly did the people destroy them 
and their cities, that they named that part 
of the country, Hormah, *' utter destruc- 
tion" (Num. 21 ; 3). 

It was now time for the Israelites to be 
moving forward. They would prefer to 
go directly through an opening in the 
mountain and pass through the land of 
Edom, south of the Dead Sea, and so 
come round east of the river Jordan. 
But they would not attempt it without 
liberty from the Edomites. Moses chose 
out honorable men and sent them to the 
King of Edom to say, 

'' Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou 
knowest all the travail that hath befallen 
us : How our fathers went down into 



192 Sto7y of Moses. 

-^gyP^! • • • ^^d the Egyptians 
vexed us, and our fathers : And when we 
cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, 
and sent an angel, and hath brought us 
forth out of Egypt : and, behold, we are 
in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy 
border : let us pass, I pray thee, through 
thy country: we will not pass through 
the fields, or through the vineyards, 
neither will we drink of the water of the 
wells : we will go by the king's high way, 
we will not turn to the right hand, nor to, 
the left, until we have passed thy borders." 

The messengers carried this very 
respectful salutation and request to the 
king ; but he gave them a flat denial, and 
said if they attempted to go through his 
land he would meet them with an army. 

Moses had be n commanded not to dis- 
turb the land of Edom, for it had been 
given to Esau for an everlasting habita- 
tion ; and he had no wish to do so ; but 
to be compelled to go south a hundred 
miles, and then back north as far, to get 
around this land, was discouraging, and 
would take my days, while it would be 



The Return. 193 

only about twenty-five miles directly 
through it. He determined to ask again, 
and he sent other messengers and a very 
strong appeal. He said, Let me pass 
through thy land ; I will go by the highway. 
I will neither turn to the right hand, nor 
to the left. Thou shalt sell me meat for 
money, that I may eat ; and give me water 
for money, that I may drink. I will not pass 
through the fields, or through the vine- 
yards. I will only, without doing any 
thing else, go through on my feet. 

The king said again, '' Thou shalt not 
pass by me, lest I come out against thee 
with the sword." And he sent out a large 
army to guard the mountain passes, lest 
the Israelites should attempt to force a 
passage. 

It was in the heat of summer, and water 
was scarce, yet they were compelled to 
take the very route by which they came, 
over thirty-eight years before, through a 
desolate region. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and 
Caleb remembered it, and well might they 
dread to go over it again ; but the cloudy 
pillar moved forward, and they followed. 

13 



1 94 Story of Moses. 

Aaron and Moses were now taking 
their last days' journey together, for at 
Mount Hor, only a short distance from 
Kadesh, Aaron was to die. Did they 
know that they were to be so soon parted? 
Did they have sweet and tender talks as 
they went on their way? 

The cone-shaped mountain, with its 
rough sides, which rises four thousand feet 
above the plain, is before them, and at its 
base they stop and pitch their tents for 
rest. The Lord said to Moses, *'Take 
Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them 
up unto Mount Hor ; and strip Aaron of 
his garments, and put them upon Eleazar 
his son ; and Aaron shall be gathered 
unto his people, and shall die there/' 

Here, while still in the wilderness, is 
another great trial for Moses. Aaron, 
the beloved brother of his whole life, is 
now to go out from him ; the last one of 
his father's family. But there is no hesi- 
tation on the part of either. Aaron puts 
on his priestly robes for the last time, and 
with Moses and Eleazar he leaves the 
people and turns towards the mountain. 



The Return. 195 

Their hearts are solemn and tender as 
they talk by the way, going higher and 
higher up the mountain, till wearied they 
seat themselves for rest. As they look 
down upon the multitude below, who are 
watching the retiring form of their high 
priest, their hearts are stirred, and tender 
and loving words are spoken. Their 
eyes glance ever the desert through which 
they have wandered so long, and memory 
is busy with the past. But they must not 
tarry. Aaron is about to enter upon the 
glories of heaven. Moses and Eleazar 
are to perform a sad office, and then go 
back to the people. They reached the 
top and there they stood. God was their 
friend ; they felt his presence and were 
not afraid. 

Moses took off the garments which had 
so long indicated Aaron's office, and put 
them upon Eleazar, and the old man's 
work on earth was done ; one hundred 
and twenty-three years of life and labor 
were finished. Aaron bade his brother, 
his son, and the world farewell ; and there 
he died. He was at rest ; no more toil, 



196 Story of Moses, 

no more sinning, but everlasting joy with 
God in heaven. They doubtless placed 
his body in one of the many cave tombs 
of the mount. To this day there is a peak 
in that region called Jebel Neby Hariin, 
*' the mount of the prophet Aaron.'' 

The people below were watching and 
waiting, till at length they saw in the far 
distance two persons coming down the 
mountain. One was Moses ; his noble form 
could not be mistaken. The other had 
on the priestly robes of Aaron, but as he 
came near they saw that their aged high 
priest was gone, and a younger man was 
filling the office. Under these solemn 
circumstances they could not deny his 
right to the office, and no question was 
raised. They loved Aaron notwithstand- 
ing all their hard words and rebellions, 
and they mourned for him thirty days. 

But if they were sad, how much more 
so was Moses ? He moved among the 
younger people, who surrounded him, as 
one alone. He was the last of his family 
and perhaps the oldest person in the 
nation. 



The Return. 197 

At length the camp again moved on. 
Seventy miles further south lay the gulf of 
Akabah, and to that they must go to reach 
the southern limit of the land of Edom. 
Many hot days of weary travel went by, 
and many nights were spent under the 
tents before they caught sight of the wel- 
come waters that stretched up into that 
barren, sunburnt, mountainous country. 

The people were weary and discour- 
aged. They had expected to be in 
Canaan before this, where they could have 
water from the wells their ancestors had 
dug, instead of drinking the warm, brackish 
water they carried with them. They 
wanted some of those large, juicy grapes 
that their fathers had told them of, and 
figs and pomegranates ; but they had, day 
in and day out, manna, manna, forever. 
The cattle, too, were becoming lean, and 
if they had to turn back again they 
would all die of starvation. They were 
now at the head of the gulf, where, several 
hundred years afterward, Solomon built 
the city of Ezion-geber, and made ships 
to sail on this same gulf. But there was 



1 98 Story of Moses. 

nothing there now but desolation. Their 
way lay to the east, and going through a 
pass in the mountain they came out south 
of the land of Edom, and the cloudy 
pillar, which was their guide, turned north 
towards the promised land. 

Much of the way after this was up hill, 
the weather was hot and the water was 
gone ; the people were thirsty, tired, and 
discouraged, and began to murmur. They 
spoke against God, and against Moses, 
and asked again the same old question. 
Wherefore have you brought us up out of 
Egypt to die in the wilderness ? 

When they complained at Kadesh- 
barnea, causing Moses and Aaron 10 sin, 
no punishment followed, but, instead, 
water was given : so they were encouraged 
to give way to their impatience again. 
This must be checked. Moses ordered a 
halt, the trumpet was blown, and the 
tribes stood still. The camels were un- 
loaded, the tents were raised, and they 
were about to resign themselves to rest 
when they found they were in the midst 
of a bed of serpents. The horrid crea- 



The Return, 199 

tures crawled from the rocks, from the 
stunted shrubs, and from under the tents, 
and soon all through the sand were seen 
the winding paths of snakes. The people 
had often seen serpents in their wander- 
ings, which did them no harm, but these 
were let loose upon them. They seemed 
to shoot about, and their bites produced 
terrible burning pains, and many of the 
people were dying. 

The camp became greatly alarmed, and 
began to flock to Moses for help. They 
said, '' We have sinned, for we have 
spoken against the Lord, and against 
thee ; pray unto the Lord, that he take 
away the serpents from us." 

Moses did pray, and God commanded 
him to make a serpent of brass, like the 
living ones, and set it upon a pole, that 
every one that was bitten might look 
upon it and live. 

This was done as soon as possible, and 
Moses hastened to raise it before the dying 
people. [Mr. Bartlett, in his recent 
travels through that country, speaks of 
the sand as curiously marked with numer- 



200 Stoiy of Moses, 

ous tracks of wild beasts and birds, and 
the sinuous trail of serpents. A prom- 
ontory there is known as the mother of 
serpents.] 

As many as looked lived : whether one 
was near death or slightly bitten, if he 
but saw the brazen serpent he was saved. 

Nearly fifteen hundred years after this, 
when the whole human family were suffer- 
ing by the poison of the old serpent the 
Devil, one came in the form of sinful flesh 
and said, ''As Moses lifted up the serpent 
in the wilderness, even so must the Son 
of man be lifted up : that whosoever be- 
lieveth in him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life." 

Those in the wilderness who did not 
believe, and would not look, but chose to 
try some other remedy, perished ; and in 
that place many graves were made. 

When the cloud again moved the people 
followed, and took with them the brazen 
serpent as a memento. It was kept for 
hundreds of years, even till 726 before 
Christ. Hezekiah, the king of judea, was 
then destroying objects of idolatry, and 



The Return. 201 

he broke in pieces the brazen serpent that 
Moses had made, for the children of Israel 
burned incense to it. (2 Kings 18 : 4.) 

For two or three days the people kept 
on in a northerly direction, rising higher 
and higher, till they reached a lofty, 
sandy plateau, which stretched off to the 
north-east for two or three hundred miles. 
Here the air was good and the travelling 
better, and they were happy again. 

The suspicious Edomites kept an eye 
upon the Hebrews, but they were now 
east of their country and owed them no 
thanks. They were coming into a country 
of rivers and brooks, and they crossed 
the upper waters of the brook Zered. 

The Moabites lay west, and the Am- 
monites were near ; but they were both 
descendants of Lot, and God commanded 
that they should not be disturbed. So 
the Israelites skirted along up between 
the nations on their left, and the sandy 
plain on their right, till they arrived at the 
river Arnon. This river flows in a deep 
and wild ravine, and bounds the country 
of Moab on the north and east. Here 



202 Story of Moses. 

they encamped. There was plenty of 
grass for the cattle, and food for them- 
selves ; the air was pleasant and they 
were in good spirits. But this was not 
the promised land : that was thirty or 
thirty-five miles west,, beyond the Dead 
Sea and the Jordan. The country of the 
Amorites who descended from Canaan, 
lay between, and they must pass through 
it, for there was no other way to reach the 
Jordan. 

It was a rich and beautiful country 
abounding in streams of water and in vege- 
tation. Its luxuriance had tempted these 
Amorites from their homes in the south 
of Canaan not long before, and they had 
come over and taken it from the Moabites, 
crowding them further south. These 
Amorites were now fully established in 
their new home, and were looking with 
suspicious eyes towards any one likely to 
disturb them. 

Sihon their king had his home in Hesh- 
bon, a city upon the hill-side, about 
twenty miles east of the river Jordan. 
He had set up his idol worship, and every 



The Return. 203 

thing was going on very smoothly, when 
this host of Israelites encamped just east 
of his borders. What did they want? 
He was watching their movements closely, 
when one day two or three of these 
Hebrews arrived at Heshbon and asked 
an interview. Sihon was a little startled 
at this request, but admitted them. 

After the usual salutations, they told 
King Sihon who they were, and that they 
had been sent by their leader, Moses, to 
ask permission to go through his country 
that they might pass over the river Jor- 
dan. They said, '' We will not turn into 
the fields, or into the vineyards ; we will 
not drink of the waters of the well : but 
we will go along the king's high way, 
until we be past thy borders/' 

Sihon heard them through, and then 
replied sternly. No, you shall not pass 
through my land. 

Of course they went back somewhat 
discouraged. Moses heard the report, and 
then God said to him, '' Rise ye up, take 
your journey, and pass over the river 
Arnon : behold I have given into thy hand 



204 Story of Moses. 

Sihcn, the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and 
his land : begin to possess it, and contend 
with him in battle. This day will I begin 
to put the dread of thee, and the fear of 
thee, upon the nations that a7'e under the 
whole heaven, who shall hear report of 
thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish 
because of thee/' 

Moses called his army together ; but 
scarcely had they crossed the river, before 
they saw Sihon with all his forces coming 
on to drive them back. Moses arranged 
his troops in haste, and there they fought. 
How long the battle lasted we do not 
know, but Sihon was killed and his men 
defeated. Moses and his army went for- 
ward, and at God's command killed with 
the sword all they found both great and 
small, and took possession of their cities, 
and all their flocks, and herds, and goods. 
All the idols that Moses found he de- 
stroyed, for the people were but too ready 
to bow down to them if allowed. 

God had chosen the Hebrew nation as 
the one to whom he v/ould commit his 
revealed truth, and he planted it in them, 



The Return. 205 

to be cherished and expanded and loved. 
There was no other Hght in the world ; all 
was darkness and death. Had the idol- 
atrous nations been spared, the Israelites 
would have gone into idolatry, and the 
little light they had would have been ex- 
tinguished; and not a spark of it would 
have survived to the coming of Christ. 
God saw what was best not only for the 
Israelites, but for the nations that followed 
them, even for us, in these ends of the 
earth. Therefore it was not cruel, as 
some assert, for God to order the death of 
the idolatrous nations that inhabited the 
land; it was a necessity. Christ was to 
come through the Israelites, and the world 
was to be redeemed. No sacrifice was too 
great in order to preserve the germs of 
revealed truth. 



CHAPTER XIIL 

A WONDERFUL COUNTRY. 

About thirty miles north of Heshbon, 
was the kingdom of Bashan, where Og, 
the giant ruled ; and that we may know 
what Moses had to encounter, for he was 
commanded to take that country also, we 
will quote from some modern travellers 
who have explored that land. 

Bashan was only about a hundred miles 
long, by sixty broad, yet it had sixty cities 
surrounded by high stone walls, with 
gates and bars, besides many cities and 
towns which had no walls. 

Og's bedstead was of iron and was 
about fourteen feet long and six broad. 
This bedstead was taken in after years to 
Rabbah, in Ammon, where it was preserved 
as showing the great stature of Og the 
giant. On this he laid his great body for 

(206) 



A Wonderful Country. 207 

rest at night, but during the day he moved 
among the people with his head above all 
others. 

The city in which he lived stood on the 
southwestern part of a very strange 
rocky or mountainous region, called 
Argob, which shoots up three hundred 
feet in the centre. Travellers describe it as 
twenty-two miles long from north to south 
by fourteen miles in width, being gener- 
ally from twenty to thirty feet above the 
plain. It is covered with jagged rocks, 
deep fissures, yawning gulfs, and filled 
with pits. There is little vegetation, and 
so wild is the whole hill, that a stranger 
there would soon be lost. 

A projection of rough, basaltic rock 
stretches two miles along the south- 
western side, and on this stood the city of 
Edrei, the home of Og. If Moses or any 
other enemy should attack and defeat him 
in his city, he and his men could flee into 
this strange mountain, Argob, and be safe. 

Prof. J. L. Porter visited this country 
and says, ''We went up to Edrei by a 
winding, rugged path, on which the horses 



2o8 Story of Moses. 

kept their footing with difficulty.'' Here 
he found the remains of an ancient city 
still covering a space of a mile long by 
two-thirds of a mile in width. The huge 
masonry which formed the houses could 
scarcely be distinguished from the black 
rocks which lay everywhere around them. 

Not a human being was to be seen, 
though the ravines in the hill might be full 
of Arab robbers. 

Another traveller who has recently ex- 
plored this country, says, '' Great cities 
are now here as they were three thousand 
years ago, except that they have not a 
human being in them. Streets are per- 
fect, houses are perfect. They look as if 
they might have been great hives of human 
beings only yesterday, so complete is 
every thing. We walk along the streets 
and into the houses, or across the public 
squares, the echo of our feet is all we 
hear, and we are startled by the sound ; 
our own shadows affright us in this utter 
solitude.'' 

*'The secret of the perfect preservation 
of these houses is in the material used, 



A Wonderful Country. 209 

the black basalt rock, which is as hard as 
iron, and the way in which they are built." 

'*The roofs, the doors, and gates are all 
of stone ; only the bars inside of these 
latter, have perished, but the mortised 
apertures for them are as fresh as if 
made but yesterday. The doors stand 
yet in their places, the floors and roofs 
are sound, and a stranger has only to go 
in and swing the door together and he is 
in a rock castle, safe from the outward 
assaults of man, secure also from the 
weather, and in a house all his own. 
There are many thousands of such houses 
in city and country, all deserted." 

The first one Prof. Porter entered he 
described as ''having walls four feet in 
thickness, composed of blocks of square 
stones put together without cement ; the 
roof, of regularly formed stones eighteen 
feet long, six inches in thickness and 
eighteen in breadth, their ends resting on 
other stones which projected about a foot 
beyond the walls on the inside, so as to 
form a cornice. The door of entrance 
was four and a half feet high, four feet 

14 



2IO Story of Moses, 

wide, and eighteen inches thick ; these 
doors are of stone and made to move on 
pivots, which are projecting parts of the 
door itself, and work in sockets above 
and below. Some of the houses have 
doors nine feet high, and many of them 
are ornamented with figures of scroll 
work, cut in relief on their faces. In a 
house measured, the first room was twenty 
feet by twelve, and ten feet high : a low 
door opened into another room of the 
same size, and from this a larger door 
admitted to a third room where was a 
descent by a flight of stone stairs. This 
last was a spacious hall equal in breadth 
to the other two rooms, and about twenty- 
five feet long by twenty feet in height ; 
the stone door being so large, that a camel 
could go out and in with ease.'' 

Among the places visited by Mr. 
Graham, was an enormous ruined city, 
perhaps the Beth-gamul of Scripture. 

''This," he says, ''Is perhaps the most 
perfect of the old cities that I saw. It is 
surrounded by a high wall forming a rec- 
tangle which seems to enclose as much 



A Wonderful Country. 2 1 1 

space as the modern Jerusalem. Some of 
the houses are very large, consisting 
usually of three rooms on the ground 
flour, and two on the second story, the 
stairs being formed of large stones built 
into the house walls, and leading up out- 
side ; sometimes there were folding doors, 
and some of them were highly orna- 
mented. Taking my rifle with me, I wan- 
dered about quite alone in the old streets 
of the town, entered one by one the old 
houses, went up stairs, looked into the 
rooms, and in short, made a careful sur- 
vey of the whole place ; but so perfect 
was every street, every house, every room, 
that I could almost have fancied that I 
was wandering alone in the city of the 
dead, seeing all perfect, and yet not hear- 
ing a sound ; that I had come upon one of 
those enchanted places in the Arabian 
Nights, where the population of a whole 
city had been petrified for a century." 

We are told in the Bible that the cities 
of Og were cities of stone, with high 
walls, bars and gates, and these are the 
cities which still are standing and bearing 



212 Story of Moses. 

testimony to God's word. "^ As Moses and 
his army approached this country from the. 
south, and looked upon these terrible cities, 
teeming with inhabitants, they were afraid ; 
but God said, Fear him not: for I have 
delivered Og the king into thy hand, and 
all his people, and his land; and thou shalt 
do to him as thou didst unto Sihon, king 
of the Amorites. 

At these encouraging words Moses took 
his army across the river Jabbok and stood 
upon the land of Bashan. The cities were 
near, but Moses put his men in order and 
marched on over the plain, and past 
several large and walled cities, full of ex- 
cited inhabitants. Moses knew that he 
had no force that could break down those 
rock-like walls ; so he did not attempt it, 
but continued on north, till he came into 
the neighborhood of the strange mountain, 
Argob. Not far from Edrei he saw Og, 
with his sons, and a large army, waiting to 
give him battle. Moses was nearly one 
hundred and twenty years old, pretty far 

* These ruins in the Argob are now generally believed to belong to 
an age since* the Christian era; though they may have some of the 
foundation stones of a more ancient period.— Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 



A Wonderful Country. 213 

advanced to have charge in such a crisis 
as this, but his judgment was good, his 
natural force was unabated, and his eye- 
sight perfect. Should Moses' soldiers get 
frightened and be driven back in this 
battle, all would be lost. 

Moses and his men did not waver, but 
marched boldly up, and the armies met. 
Hand to hand, sword for sword, strength 
for strength, they fought ; blood ran 
freely, and Og was killed. His sons also 
were slain, and fright seized his people, 
who were cut down on the right, and on 
the left, till *' There was not a city which 
we took not from them, threescore cities, 
all the region of Argob, the kingdom of 
Og in Bashan. All these cites were 
fenced with high walls, gates and bars ; 
beside unwalled towns a great many." 
(Deut. 3:5.) 

Ashtoreth, their god of obscenities, 
which they had shamelessly worshipped 
so long, could not save them ; their cup of 
iniquity was full, and the city and its 
temples were destroyed. 

The Israelites were greatly elated over 



2 14 Story of Moses, 

their new possessions ; and well they 
might rejoice, for the Lord had already 
given them a great and beautiful country, 
before they had crossed the Jordan, and 
with it they had taken six hundred and 
seventy-five thousand sheep, seventy-two 
thousand cattle, and sixty-one thousand 
asses, besides all the goods of the con- 
quered people. Perhaps the very stone 
houses that Prof. Porter and Mr. Graham 
walked through and have described to us, 
beloncred to the Israelites, and Moses mav 
have had his home for a while in one 
like those now standing. 

What a delight it was to the Israelites 
to turn their lean sheep and cattle, which 
they had driven so long in the desert, in 
amono- the fat cattle that fed in the rich 
pastures of Bashan. And how eagerly 
the poor creatures cropped the rich grass 
and drank of the clear, cool waters of the 
brooks ! 

What a change it was to the Israelites, 
who had so long wandered and suffered, 
to be set down in such a country as this, 
with houses all made and furnished ready 



i 



A Wonderful Country, 215 

for their use, and all their own, and more 
in prospect. 

They spread themselves out wherever 
they chose, gathered the fruits, and reaped 
the grain and supplied their army, which 
had camped down on the flats by the river 
Jordan. These flats w^ere about three 
miles wide and partially covered by the 
acacia tree. Some then called them 
shittim trees, and spoke of this ground 
as the valley of Shittim. Others called it 
the valley of Moab, because the Moabites 
once owned it. It was a fine place for 
the army, and they pitched their tents 
among the beautiful trees, and near the 
banks of the rolling Jordan, and there 
they lay in peace and plenty. 

The plains of Jericho, with the palm 
trees, only four miles off, were in full view 
on the other side of the river Jordan, and 
the Israelites were quite walling to go over 
and take possession ; but the cloud which 
guided them did not move. 

There was great consternation among 
the inhabitants of Canaan, for they had 
watched the progress and victory of the 



2 1 6 Story of Moses. 

Israelites, and were planning and combin- 
ing for defence. 

The Moabites and the Midianites, who 
had not been disturbed when Moses 
passed their borders, were also in great 
fear, thinking their turn might come next ; 
and Balak, the king of Moab, anxious 
to do something to prevent destruction, 
called the princes of his own people and 
those of Midian together, and said *' Now 
shall this company lick up all that are 
round about us, as the ox licketh up the 
grass/' What shall be done? They 
have a god of their own and he blesses 
them. Our god has no power over them, 
but if we could induce their god to curse, 
instead of blessing them, we should escape 
from their power. 

Some of these assembled wise heads 
had heard of a man of the same stamp of 
the Israelites, a prophet of the Lord, by 
the name of Balaam ; he might have some 
power to curse. To be sure he lived two 
or three hundred miles east, near the 
Euphrates River, but that was a small 
matter if they could but get him. They 



A Wonderful Cotintry, 217 

determined to try, and they appointed 
elders, both from the Moabites and from 
the Midianites, honorable men, and put 
a purse of gold in their hands, and Balak 
said, Go and tell Balaam, that there is 
a people come up from Egypt that cover 
the face of the earth ; that they are too 
strong for me, and if he will but come and 
curse them, they shall be cursed indeed, 
and I shall drive them out. The messen- 
gers departed. 

There were no railroads in those days 
to hurry a person through a long journey 
and back ; so these messengers probably 
rode upon asses and made all the speed 
they could ; but doing their very best it 
would take weeks to go and come ; and 
in the meantime Balak was on the look- 
out thinking that any day those Egyptians, 
as he called them, might appear before 
his gates. Moses once asked, very civilly, 
to pass through his land, and had been 
refused ; now he has no doubt that Moses 
will retaliate by coming down upon him 
with his army. He wishes his elders 
would come back with Balaam. 



2 1 8 Story of Moses. 

At length one day, he saw in the dis- 
tance the returning messengers. At first 
he could not quite tell, but he did not count 
any more than went out. Where was the 
prophet ? Was it possible that he had 
not come. 

When the messengers came up and 
said, Balaam refused to come with us, his 
worse fears were made sure ; there was 
nothing now between him and destruction. 
Balaam must come ; the king would not 
be refused, and he called the princes of 
Midian with his own, and held another 
counsel. The result was that princes 
more honorable than the first were 
appointed to go to Balaam and say, '' Let 
nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from 
coming unto me : for I will promote thee 
unto very great honor, and I will do whatso- 
ever thou sayest unto me : come, there- 
fore, I pray thee, curse me this people.'' 
This message they delivered when they 
came the second time. 

Balaam was probably a descendant of 
Shem, and had some just ideas of the true 
God ; but he was a sorcerer, a false 



A Wonderful Country. 219 

prophet like many we read of. He made 
great pretensions to sanctity, and of obed- 
ience to God's commands ; but he used 
enchantments which were forbidden. 

God really seems to have answered him 
the night the first messengers came ; and 
though he was very anxious for the honors 
and money offered, he did not dare to go. 
He thought that was the end of it. 

But other messengers from the king of 
Moab arrive, a second company more 
honorable than the first, with larger 
promises of reward. Surely, he thought, 
I am a man of consequence and import- 
ance. I'll go if I can : the money is very 
tempting, and so are the honors; and, 
turning to the princes, he said. Stay here 
to-night and I will see what the Lord will 
say. 

That night he obtained liberty to go 
with the messengers, on condition that he 
should say only what the Lord put in his 
mouth ; there should be nothing but bless- 
ing, because Israel was blessed. 

Balaam was delighted : he would go, 
and if he could not curse, he would con- 



2 20 Sto7y of Moses. 

trive some way by which to get the money 

offered. 

The next morning the old animal, which 
he had ridden for years, was brought early 
to the door, and Balaam was ready. The 
princes paid him much attention, for they 
were gratified that they had succeeded, 
and thev all went on tog-ether towards the 
land of Moab. 

But during the journey Balaam's beast 
beean to act in a very stranore manner. 
Balaam had never seen any thing like it 
before. There was something the matter. 
The animal was frightened. Balaam could 
see nothing in the way. His patience was 
sorely tried^ for the ass sheered off and 
crushed his master's foot against awall, and 
finally fell flat down in the road. All this 
time Balaam was growing more and more 
angry and began pounding the ass with his 
staff. He was making a sad appearance 
here before the princes, his foot crushed, 
and he covered with dirt, and he pounded 
the beast furiously; he was almost insane 
with anger, and hardly knew or cared 
what he did. The ass very meekly said: 



A Wonderful Counhy. 221 

" What have I done unto thee, that thou 
hast smitten me these three times ?" 

Balaam's face was red with anger, and 
without thinking that it was an unusual 
thing for the beast to be talking, said, 
" Because thou hast mocked me : I would 
there was a sword in my hand, for now 
would I kill thee/' 

Then the ass, more reasonable than its 
master, said, inquiringly, ''Am not I thine 
ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever 
since / was thine unto this day ? was I 
ever wont to do so unto thee ?" 

Balaam had just time to say '' Nay," 
when he saw an angel with a drawn sword 
standing in the way, and Balaam fell on 
his face. 

Then the angel asked him why he had 
smitten his beast three times, and went on 
to tell him that his way was perverse, 
wicked ; and if the beast had not turned 
aside, the angel would have killed him, and 
saved her alive. Balaam said, I have 
sinned. I did not know that you stood in 
the way. I will go back if you wish it. 

But God had something for Balaam to 



22 2 Story of Moses. 

do, or suffer in Moab ; and told him to go 
on, but to speak only the word which he 
should give him. No more of false 
prophesying, no more mummery, however 
much he might wish to prophesy falsely. 

In the meantime Balak, who had been 
waiting impatiently, heard that the princes 
and the prophet were coming, and in great 
joy he hurried off to a city in his farthest 
border to meet him. 

Balak was very glad to see Balaam, as 
he stood before him with his turbaned 
head and oriental robe, but expressed 
surprise that he did not come when first 
sent for, seeing he had it in his power to 
promote the prophet to such great honor. 
Balaam felt his dignity when princes 
and kings so eagerly sought his help, and 
he said, ''Lo I am come unto thee; have 
I now any power at all to say any thing ? 
The word that God putteth into my 
mouth, that shall I speak.'' 

There was no time to be lost ; and 
Balak took him to one of the high places, 
and there they sacrificed oxen and sheep, 
and feasted. Then Balak waited for 



A Wonderful Country. 223 

the curse : the time had come that Israel's 
power should be withered by their own 
God : and as he seated himself to hear, he 
ordered the prophet to begin. 

Balaam put himself in an attitude, and 
lookinof straight before him as if he saw 
nothing, said, '' Balak the king of Moab 
hath brought me from Aram out of the 
mountains of the east, saying, Come, 
curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 
How shall I curse, whom God hath not 
cursed ? or how shall I defy, wkojn the 
Lord hath not defied ? For from the top 
of the rocks I see him, and from the hills 
I behold him : lo, the people shall dwell 
alone, and shall not be reckoned amonp* 
the nations. Who can count the dust of 
Jacob, and the number of the fourth part 
, of Israel ? Let me die the death of the 
righteous, and let my last end be like his !" 

At this point Balak broke in upon him 
with, '' What hast thou done unto me ? I 
took thee to curse mine enemies, and, be- 
hold, thou hast blessed them altogether.'-' 

Balaam, thus interrupted, turns and 
asks, '' Must I not take heed to speak 



2 24 Story of Moses. 

that which the Lord hath put in my 
mouth?'' 

Perhaps this is not a favorable spot said 
Balak ; we will go to another spot where 
you can see the enemy better, though you 
cannot see all from any point ; and he 
took him to Mount Pisgah. There was a 
commanding view both of the country 
east of Jordan, and the land of Canaan. 
The deep ravine in which the river Jordan 
ran could be traced for a great distance, 
and there by the rolling water lay Moses 
and his army spread out over the plain of 
Shittim for miles. Their white tents shone 
beautifully in the clear morning sun, and 
the long golden tabernacle, with its gor- 
geously dressed priests, was an object of 
wonder. Sacrifices, they were sure, were 
being offered on Israel's one altar, for they 
could see the smoke arising in a column 
towards heaven. The Israelites were 
propitiating their God, Balak would 
counteract it. So they built seven altars, 
and offered a bullock and a ram upon 
each altar, and while they were burning, 
Balaam told Balak and the princes to stay 



A Wonde^'ful Country, 225 

by them, and he would go a Httle way off 
to see what the Lord would say. But he 
went not, as before, to seek for enchant- 
ments, hoping to please Balak. 

Contrary to his wishes the Lord put 
words in his mouth, and when he came 
back to the altars, Balak eagerly asked, 
*' What hath the Lord spoken ?" Balaam, 
fixing himself as before, began : 

'' Rise up, Balak, and hear ; hearken unto 
me, thou son of Zippor : God is not a man, 
that he should lie ; neither the son of man, 
that he should repent : hath he said, and 
shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and 
shall he not make it good ? Behold, I 
have received commandment to bless : and 
he hath blessed ; and I cannot reverse it. 
. . . Surely there is no enchantment 
against Jacob, neither is there any divina- 
tion against Israel.'* 

After he had said much more in this 
strain, Balak requested him to stop and 
neither bless nor curse. The king was 
losing his patience : he had enough of 
that kind of talk, and said we will go to 
another mountain : perhaps it will please 

15 



2 26 Story of Moses. 

God to curse them from that place. 
Balaam no doubt felt a little vexed at 
himself that he had not done better, and 
meekly followed on with the others to 
Peor, another peak of the mountain. 
And there Balaam told them to build 
seven altars, and offer a bullock and a 
ram upon each. They did it. Balaam 
stood by in silence ; there was no use, he 
thought, in going one side for enchant- 
ments, as he had done, so he stood and 
looked down upon the Israelites till all 
was ready, and he was expected to speak. 
Then he turned his face towards the wil- 
derness. He saw the Israelites in their 
tents, and began to speak : 

'' Balaam, the son of Beor, hath said, 
and the man whose eyes are open hath 
said : he hath said, which heard the words 
of God, which saw the vision of the 
Almighty, falling into a trance, but having 
his eyes open.'' 

The king and the princes stood in the 
greatest anxiety. Now, they thought, he 
was going to say something favorable ; but 
his next words were : 



A Wonderful Country, 227 

'' How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, 
and \kiy tabernacles, O Israel !" and after 
going on in this way for some time, he 
added, '' Blessed is he that blesseth thee, 
and cursed is he that curseth thee/' 

By this time the king was so angry that 
he struck his hands together and said ; '' I 
called thee to curse mine enemies, and, 
behold, thou hast altogether blessed them 
these three times. . . . Now flee thou 
to thy place,'' you shall have no honors 
from me. 

Balaam reminded him of what he told 
him at the beginning, that he should 
speak only what the Lord bade. 

They were all disappointed ; they had 
wasted all their sacrifices, and nothing 
was accomplished. 

Balaam saw his honors and his gold 
slipping aWay, and cas^t about in his mind 
for a way to retain both and to please 
Balak, too. At length he had it, — a wicked 
thought, direct from the evil one himself; 
and he took Balak the king one side to 
tell him that heavy curses could be 
brought upon Israel by drawing them into 



228 Story of Moses, 

idolatry. Send your young Moabitish 
women into their camp, said he, and let 
them draw off the young men into their 
temples, and lead them into idolatry, and 
their God will come out in heavy judg- 
ments upon them. (Num, 31 : 16.) 

Balak saw the cunning, and was pleased, 
and set about accomplishing his wicked 
designs at once. Balak and Balaam were 
good friends again, and there was plenty 
of money and honors awaiting if the plan 
should only succeed. 




Mountains of Moab. 



CHAPTER VII. 

MOSES' DEATH. 

Spring, with its warm sunshine, its sing- 
ing birds and bright flowers, was giving 
new life and joy to the great Hebrew na- 
tion as they lay at ease in their new pos- 
sessions. The camp had been idle for 
weeks, and many of the young men were 
ready for any excitement or change to 
give them diversion. They accepted the 
attentions of some of the Moabite girls 
who visited them, and they formed, what 
they might consider, some pleasant 
acquaintances. 

At length the Moabitish young women 
also came into the outskirts of the camp, 
and made acquaintance with the soldiers, 
and invited them to their temples in Beth- ♦ 
peor, where they worshipped Baal-peor, a 
filthy idol of the Moabites ; and the young 

(231) 



232 Story of Moses. 

• 
men went willingly ; led on to their own 
destruction by the smiles and fascinations 
of these bad women. It was not long till 
that temple of abominations at Beth-peor 
was crowded with men from the Hebrew 
camp. 

Balak, and the false prophet, were 
watching with great pleasure the success 
of their diabolic plan, and were now quite 
sure of a curse upon Israel. 

The whole thing was managed very 
secretly, lest the old lawgiver, Moses, 
should learn the facts. He, being busy 
with the affairs of the nation, had no sus- 
picion of the great sin which existed in 
the camp, but when he heard of it, his 
whole soul was stirred within him. 

He found that the feasts of the heathen 
gods, were beginning to be established 
among the chosen people of God, even as 
they lay upon the borders of the promised 
land. 

Moses went to God for direction. And 
the anger of the Lord was kindled against 
Israel ; and he commanded Moses to take 
the chiefs of the people and hangup those 



Moses Death, '^ZZ 

who had sinned, before the sun, that the 
anger of the Lord might be turned away. 

And Moses, filled with righteous anger, 
commanded the judges of Israel to slay 
every one his man, that was joined unto 
Baal-peor. The people heard of this 
order, and collected around the taber- 
nacle, weeping, and confessing their sins ; 
but the iudp-esw^ent out and executed some 
of the most notorious of these Baal wor- 
shippers, and then God, by a plague, de- 
stroyed twenty-four thousand more. Thus 
he showed his hatred of that evil. 

God had seen the snare laid by the 
Moabites and Midianites, and now com- 
manded Moses to vex and smite these 
nations for drawing the Hebrews into sin. 

The whole plan of Balaam and Balak 
became known, and Moses was quite 
ready to draw up his army. He chose 
and armed a thousand men from each of 
the tribes, and with Phinehas the priest, 
and the trumpets, they went forth to the 
territory of Midian and Moab. Balak 
had brought destruction upon his own 
head by his acts. The Israelites, whom 



234 Story of Moses, 

he so much dreaded, had now come in 
earnest, and war was carried to every 
city. They killed and made captive till 
they had been over the whole land, and 
subdued it. 

In one citv. where thev were lookinor 
over the dead, they found the false 
prophet Balaam, killed by the sword. He 
had exoressed the wish to *' die the death 
of the riorhteous," which he micrht have 
done if he had not cast in his lot with the 
wicked. 

Balak was killed with five other kings ; 
and all his princes shared the same fate ; 
and the whole land, with its herds and 
flocks was captured. 

The armv came back, brinorino- hundreds 
of girls whose parents had been killed, 
probably kept for servants ; six hundred 
and seventy-five thousand sheep : seventy- 
two thousand cattle, and sixty-one thou- 
sand asses, besides a crreat amount of crold. 
]\Ioses and Eleazar, and all the princes 
went out to meet them. What a sicrht 
v;a5 that I It was right for God to destroy 
those wicked people for their sins. 



Moses Death, 235 

The work on the east of Jordan was 
about finished. Moses, the great law- 
giver, and leader, the beloved intercessor, 
who had stood so many years between 
the nation and God, was to go no fi^irther 
with them. He was to die on that side of 
Jordan. He had asked to go across and 
put his feet upon the promised land, but 
because of his sin at Kadesh he was re- 
fused. He was submissive to God. 

He had done a great work during his 
life in leading a nation from bondage, and 
placing them as free men in a country of 
their own. The people had risen in 
intelligence and morality ; and they were 
the only people in the world who possessed 
the written word of God. They were in- 
debted to Moses for the five books which 
were then laid away in manuscript ; but 
they have since been printed, and are now 
in our hands, and are read throughout the 
world. Their titles are Genesis, Exodus, 
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 
Moses had also written the 90th psalm, 
which is full of love and trust. He may have 
thought that his writings were then done : 



236 Story of Moses. 

But God spoke to him and said: The 
days approach when you must die. When 
you are gone this people will forsake me 
and worship the gods of the nations 
around them. Then my anger will be 
kindled and I will hide my face from them. 
Write this song and teach it to the 
children of Israel ; put it into their mouths 
that it may be a witness against them. 

This song of Moses can be found in the 
32nd chapter of Deuteronomy, and com- 
mences : '' Give ear, O ye heavens, and 
I will speak : and hear, O earth, the words 
of my mouth." There are forty-three 
verses, all of which are beautiful and in- 
structive. Moses wrote it the same day, 
and repeated it to the people, while they 
committed it to memory. He then said, 
'' It is not a vain thing for you ; because it 
is your life.'' He was anxious for the 
people, and told them that if they obeyed 
God's commandments, they should be set 
on high, above all the nations of the earth. 
They should be blessed in the city, and in 
the field ; blessed in their children, and in 
their cattle ; blessed in their basket, and 



Moses Death. 237 

store; blessed when they came in, and 
when they went out ; they should conquer 
their enemies ; they should be prospered in 
all they set their hands to ; the Lord 
would establish them a holy people, and 
all the nations of the earth should be afraid 
of them. 

But, said Moses, if you do not obey 
God, but go after other gods to serve 
them, then you shall be cursed every 
where : in your children, in your cattle, 
cursed when you go in, or when you go out, 
cursed in all you set your hand to. You 
shall have pestilence, and consumption, 
and fever; the sword shall destroy you ; the 
heaven over your head shall be brass and 
the earth under your feet shall be iron. 
You shall be smitten before your enemies, 
and they shall carry you away where you 
shall worship gods of wood and stone. 
You shall become a by-word and a prov- 
erb among all the nations where the Lord 
will send you. Then raising his hands 
he said, "I call heaven and earth to record 
this day against you, that I have set before 
you life and death, blessing and cursing ; 



238 Story of Moses, 

therefore choose Hfe, that both thou and 
thy seed may hve . . . for he is 
your Hfe." 

The people were deeply moved by 
Moses' earnest words and promised to 
obey. They would gladly have kept 
Moses with them ; for they loved him, 
although they had so often murmured and 
rebelled and grieved his heart, 
-^ Joshua and Caleb had been his true 
friends, and they now stood near him as 
he talked. Gershom and Eliezer listened 
with bowed heads, and tearful eyes, to 
their father's last counsel. Moses said : 

I am a hundred and twenty years old 
this day. I can no more go in and out 
before you, for I must not pass over this 
Jordan. The Lord will go before you and 
destroy the nations, and you shall possess 
their land. Joshua shall go before you as 
the Lord has said. Be strono- and of a 

o 

good courage ; fear not nor be afraid of 
them, for the Lord your God, he it is that 
goeth before you. He will not fail you 
nor forsake you. 

Then Moses called for Joshua who came 



Moses Death. 239 

and stood before him, and Moses with 
deep feehng said : 

Be strong, Joshua, and of good cour- 
age ; for you must go with this people to 
the land which the Lord hath sworn to 
their fathers to give them. And you shall 
cause them to inherit it. The Lord, he it 
is that goes before you. He will be with 
you. He will not fail you nor forsake 
you ; fear not, neither be discouraged. 

Moses was called by the Lord to go to 
the tabernacle with Joshua. The pillar 
of cloud rested over the door as they 
entered, and there Joshua received instruc- 
tions from the Lord. Moses repeated 
th.ese words to the people when he came 
out, and warned them against idolatry. 

But the time had come for parting, and 
Moses lifted up his hands and pronounced 
a blessing separately upon the tribes. 
Reuben was first called ; and did not 
every person in that tribe bow his head as 
the prayer arose, " Let Reuben live, and 
not die ; and let not his men be few.'' 
Judah's name was next pronounced, and a 
blessing asked. Then followed the name 



240 Story of Moses, 

of Levi, Moses' own tribe. They were to 
teach God's judgments and law, to burn 
whole burnt sacrifices upon God's altar ; 
and after a blessing, the prayer of the 
man of God arose for the tribe. As it 
included his own children and children's 
children, it came with earnestness from 
his heart. Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh, 
Zebulun, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, and Asher 
were each called and blessed. And then 
came the last words. Moses stretched 
wide his arms, as if to include all the 
tribes, and with deep pathos said : 

'' The eternal God is thy refuge, and 
underneath are the everlasting arms. . . . 
Happy art thou O Israel : who is like unto 
thee, O people saved by the Lord, the 
shield of thy help, and who is the sword of 
thy excellency ! and thine enemies shall 
be found liars unto thee ; and thou shalt 
tread upon their high places." 

Moses' hands dropped by his side, and 
with a face full of peace, he turned away 
from the people and alone walked to- 
wards Mount Nebo, He was going up to 
die. 



Moses Death, 241 

The tribes stood as if petrified, gazing 
after their dear leader, whose strong, 
erect form could be seen going higher and 
higher up among the crags. They were 
not allowed to follow, though they would 
gladly have been by his side. He was 
gone ; they could get no further glimpse 
of his beloved form, and they were filled 
with grief and mourning. They remem- 
bered the sorrows they had caused him by 
their rebellions, and his meek and forgiv- 
ing spirit towards them, and his prayers, 
choosing rather to be cut off with them, 
than to live in honor after their destruc- 
tion. And they wept and mourned for 
Moses thirty days. 

But while they were in these low 
grounds of earth, struggling with their 
sins and regrets, Moses was with God and 
the angels in the mount. His spirit was 
in unison with the holy ones who sur- 
rounded him, and it was but a step into 
the celestial regions just beyond. No 
human weaknesses or sins now clouded 
his mind ; his vision was enlarged, and he 
saw spread out before him the promised 

16 



242 Story of Moses. 

land, with its hills and valleys, its lakes 
and rivers, the land towards which he had 
been so long travelling, and which he so 
much wished to enter. 

There, in later years, the great high 
priest, towards whom all those bloody 
sacrifices offered in the wilderness and on 
their way pointed, and of whom Moses 
himself was a type, Christ our righteous- 
ness, was to live and suffer. Moses fore- 
saw it and was satisfied. He laid hold by 
faith of this blessed Saviour : his spiritual 
as his bodily vision was enlarged: his soul 
was in ecstacies ; the earthly faded away 
in the greater glories of the heavenly. 
The angels became visible, celestial 
music was around him, and he was with 
God. 

The poor body which he had inhabited 
120 years lay upon the ground, but it was 
precious still: the shining angels hovered 
over it, and lifting it they bore it carefully 
down to a valley in the land of Moab over 
against Beth-peor and there they buried 
it, and there they will watch over it till 
the resurrection. 



Moses' Death. 243 



" By Nebo's lonely mountain, 

On this side Jordan's wave, 
In a vale in the land of Moab, 

There lies a lonely grave ; 
But no man dug that sepulchre. 

And no man saw it e'er, 
For the angels of God upturned the sod, 

And laid the dead man there." 

That was the grandest funeral 

That ever passed on earth, 
But no man heard the tramping. 

Or saw the train go forth ; 
For without sound of music, 

Or voice of them that wept. 
Silently down from the mountain crown 

The great procession swept. 

Perchance the bald old eagle, 

On gray Beth-peor's height, 
Out of his rocky eyrie 

Looked on the wondrous sight ; 
Perchance the lion stalking 

Still shuns that hallowed spot. 
For beast and bird, have seen and heard 

That which man knowetli not. 

This was the bravest warrior 

That ever buckled sword. 
This the most gifted poet 

That ever breathed a word ; 
And never earth's philosopher 

Traced with his golden pen 
On the deathless page, truths half so sage 

As he wrote down for men. 



244 Stoiy of Moses. 

And had he not high honor ? 

The hill-side for his pall. 
To lie in state, where angels wait 

With stars for tapers tall ; 
And the dark rock-pines with tossing plumes, 

Over his bier to wave ; 
And God's own hand, in that lonely land 

To lay him in the grave. 

In that deep grave without a name 

Whence his uncoffined clay 
Shall break again, — most wondrous thought! 

Before the judgment day ; 
And stand, with glory wrapped around, 

On the hills he never trod ; 
And speak of the strife, that won our life 

With the incarnate Son of God. 

Oh lonely tomb in Moab's land ! 

Oh dark Beth-peor's hill ! 
Speak to these anxious hearts of ours, 

And teach them to be still. 
God hath his mysteries of grace, 

Ways that we cannot tell ; 
He hides them deep, like the secret sleep 

Of him he loved so well."^" 

For many days the people mourned for 
Moses, but he came no more. Joshua 
was now in authority. 

God commanded him to take the nation 
over into the promised land. This Joshua 
did triumphantly ; and just five days before 

^ Mrs. Alexander. 



Moses Death, 245 

the forty years of wandering ended, 
they were all standing on the plains of 
Jericho — they had possession. 

Years of war followed, but the Lord 
gave them victory, as he promised ; and all 
the land from the Mediterranean on the 
west, to the Euphrates on the east, and 
from the mountains of Lebanon on the 
north, to the river of Egypt on the south, 
was theirs, when Israel was most extended. 

Joshua lived about twenty-six years 
after Moses' death, long enough to see 
each tribe fairly established in its own 
possession, and died at the age of one 
hundred and ten years. And he was 
buried in Mount Ephraim, on the north 
side of the hill of Gaash. Joseph's bones, 
which the Israelites had carried with them 
for forty years, they buried in Shechem, 
in the ground which Jacob bought so 
many years before for a hundred pieces of 
of silver. 

The Hebrew nation, after varying for- 
tunes and discipline under the judges, rose 
rapidly under David, and under Solomon 
became, perhaps, the most civilized, en- 



246 Story of Moses. 

lightened and enterprising people on the 
earth. 

In the fulness of time Christ came of 
the tribe of Judah, and made his home 
with this people ; but in their blindness 
they did not recognize their long expected 
Messiah, and they crucified him. Previous 
to his death Christ was transfigured before 
two of his disciples, and Moses, accom- 
panied by Elijah, was with him on the 
mount ; they were talking to him of his 
decease. So glorious was this whole 
appearance that those present could not 
look upon it, but fell upon their faces till 
it was past. Moses again disappeared ; 
but when heaven was opened, by the rev- 
elation given to John on Patmos, the 
redeemed were singing, 

''The song of Moses the servant of 
God and the song of the Lamb." 




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